LIV Golf - Complete Guide for Golf Fans

LIV Golf launched in 2022 as a rival professional golf league, bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. In April 2026 the PIF said it would stop funding the league after the 2026 season. With a radically different format, enormous guaranteed contracts and some of the biggest names in the game, LIV has fundamentally altered the landscape of professional golf. Whether you are a fan or a sceptic, understanding LIV Golf is essential for following the modern game. This guide covers everything you need to know.

What Is LIV Golf?

LIV Golf (the Roman numerals for 54, the number of holes its events were originally played over) is a professional golf league that operates independently from the established tours. Greg Norman was the league's first CEO and commissioner. He was replaced as CEO by Scott O'Neil in January 2025.

The league was designed to challenge the traditional model of professional golf with shorter events (54 holes until 2025), a team format, no cuts and guaranteed prize money. It attracted headline attention by signing several of the world's top players to lucrative contracts.

How LIV Golf Works - Format Explained

LIV Golf's format differs significantly from traditional stroke play tournaments on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour:

72 Holes, No Cut

From 2022 to 2025, LIV events were played over three rounds (54 holes). Since the 2026 season, every event has been played over four rounds (72 holes), usually starting on a Thursday, the same distance as a traditional tour event. There is still no cut. Every player in the 57-man field competes in all four rounds, regardless of their score. This means fans who follow a particular player are guaranteed to see them compete all weekend.

Shotgun Start

Instead of traditional tee times where players go off the first tee in groups over several hours, LIV uses a shotgun start. All groups begin simultaneously on different holes across the course, meaning the entire field finishes at roughly the same time. This compresses the action into a shorter window, typically around four to five hours.

Team Competition

LIV's most distinctive feature is its team format. As of the 2026 season, the league has 13 franchise teams of four players each, plus five wild card players who compete only for individual honours. Teams compete for a separate prize pool alongside the individual competition. Each team has a captain, branding and a distinct identity.

Since the 2025 season, all four scores count in every round. The team with the lowest combined score over the event wins.

Season Format

The 2026 schedule had 14 events, ending with the Team Championship. In practice 12 were played: the New Orleans stop was postponed and the Michigan finale was cancelled, leaving Indianapolis in August as the last event. The season-long individual title goes to the player with the most points across the season. The schedule spans multiple countries, though with fewer stops than the PGA Tour or DP World Tour calendars.

As of October 2026, Jon Rahm has won three season-long individual titles, including 2026, and his Legion XIII won the 2026 Team Championship, its second in a row.

Notable LIV Golf Players

LIV Golf attracted several high-profile players from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour:

• Jon Rahm - former world number one and multiple major champion who made headlines with his move to LIV
• Bryson DeChambeau - U.S. Open champion known for his prodigious driving distance and analytical approach
• Brooks Koepka - multiple major champion and the original Smash GC captain, who left LIV after the 2025 season
• Phil Mickelson - six-time major champion, HyFlyers GC captain and one of golf's most popular figures
• Dustin Johnson - former world number one with multiple major titles
• Cameron Smith - The Open champion who moved to LIV at the height of his career

LIV Golf Teams

LIV's team structure gives the league a different feel from individual-focused tours. As of the 2026 season, teams include:

• Crushers GC - captained by Bryson DeChambeau
• 4Aces GC - captained by Dustin Johnson
• OKGC (formerly Smash GC) - captained by Talor Gooch
• Legion XIII - captained by Jon Rahm
• Ripper GC - captained by Cameron Smith

Each team develops its own fanbase, merchandise and identity, adding a layer of engagement that traditional golf does not typically offer.

LIV Golf vs PGA Tour - Key Differences

The World Rankings Question

One of the most significant issues facing LIV Golf has been the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). From its launch through the 2025 season, LIV events did not receive OWGR points, which affected players' ability to qualify for major championships based on world ranking.

This has been a contentious point in professional golf, as major championships use world ranking position as a key qualification criterion. On 3 February 2026 the OWGR board approved points for LIV events from the 2026 season, but only for the top 10 finishers and ties. The board cited LIV's small, no-cut fields and restricted pathways into the league as reasons for the limit.

LIV Golf and the Majors

The four major championships - the Masters, U.S. Open, The Open Championship and PGA Championship - are run by independent organisations with their own qualification criteria. This means LIV Golf players can and do compete in majors, provided they meet the entry requirements.

Past major champions typically have long-term or lifetime exemptions into certain majors. Other LIV players may qualify through world ranking, past performance or other criteria specific to each championship.

For a look at how this plays out in practice, see our Masters 2026 results.

The Future of LIV Golf

The professional golf landscape has been in flux since LIV's launch. The PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund agreed a framework to unify the game in June 2023, but no deal followed. In August 2026 PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said there was "no merger, no conversations".

LIV itself is being rebuilt. In April 2026 the PIF announced it would stop funding the league at the end of the season. On 8 September 2026 LIV filed for Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, with a restructuring agreement with BC Partners Credit and $49.6 million of debtor-in-possession financing from the PIF. The league says it intends to emerge in early 2027 and expects to be majority owned by its players. Its announced plan for 2027 is 10 tournaments instead of 14, lower purses, and players free to compete on other tours. As of October 2026, those details are plans, not a published schedule.

What is clear is that LIV Golf has forced the established tours to evolve. The PGA Tour's introduction of elevated events, increased purses and guaranteed money for top players is widely seen as a response to LIV's challenge.

How to Follow LIV Golf Live

LIV Golf's compressed format and shotgun starts create a unique viewing experience. With all players on the course simultaneously, the action is fast-paced and the leaderboard can change dramatically in a short period.

GolfMode is being built for exactly this kind of leaderboard. Join the waitlist if you want it on your phone when it launches. Even at 72 holes, a no-cut field of 57 leaves little room for a slow start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can LIV Golf players play in the Ryder Cup?

Yes, if they meet each side's rules. The Ryder Cup is jointly organised by the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe (which is linked to the DP World Tour). The PGA of America confirmed in September 2024 that LIV players are eligible for the U.S. team. Europeans need DP World Tour membership; Jon Rahm settled his fines dispute in May 2026, making him eligible for the 2027 matches at Adare Manor.

Why is it called LIV Golf?

LIV is the Roman numeral for 54, the number of holes LIV events were played over from 2022 to 2025. Since 2026 LIV events have been 72 holes, like traditional tour events, but the name has stayed.

How much money do LIV Golf players earn?

LIV Golf has offered guaranteed contracts to its players in addition to tournament prize money. In 2026 each regular event carried a $30 million purse, split between the individual and team competitions. Individual guaranteed contracts for top players are reported to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. LIV says purses will be lower from 2027.

Do LIV Golf results count towards the world rankings?

Yes, partly. From the 2026 season, LIV events earn Official World Golf Ranking points, but only for the top 10 finishers and ties. Before 2026, LIV events earned none.

GolfMode is coming. Join the waitlist to follow LIV Golf on your phone.