LIV Golf has announced this week a significant update to its competition format for the 2026 season, a reform that affects both the league structure and the points system, promotions and relegations, the number of players present in each tournament, and their duration. The aim, according to the organisation, is to strengthen competitive integrity, reward consistency throughout the season, and continue to boost the sporting and economic value of the team model.
The new season will kick off next week, from 4 to 7 February, in Saudi Arabia. There, under the night lights of the Riyadh Golf Club, the ROSHN Group LIV Golf Riyadh will take place. It will do so with a calendar and regulations that bring the circuit closer to the traditional standards of professional golf, but “without renouncing its identity,” according to the press release distributed by the organisation detailing all the new features of the new season.
“The principle is clear: if you perform week after week, that performance should count,” explained the circuit’s CEO, Scott O’Neil, when presenting the changes. “Moving to 72 holes, expanding the field, increasing relegations, updating the points system, and strengthening investment in the teams makes LIV Golf more competitive, more transparent, and more exciting,” he detailed.
More competitive pressure: new Lock Zone, Open Zone, and Drop Zone
One of the most significant changes affects the individual ranking for the entire season. From 2026, the number of players securing their continuity increases, but the relegation zone also grows significantly.
The Lock Zone, players who will have their continuity in the circuit guaranteed for the next season, will now include the top 34 in the ranking (around 60% of the new field of 57 players), compared to the 24 who were protected until now. The Open Zone, where movements can occur, will be reduced to positions 35 to 46. Meanwhile, the Drop Zone or relegation zone expands significantly, affecting players finishing between 47 and 57, almost 20% of the total.
The league emphasises that this modification increases rotation, raises competitive tension throughout the year, and creates more meritocratic pathways for access and permanence.
A broader and more demanding points system
The 2026 season will also debut a new points system, both individually and for teams. There will be more points at stake, all players will score according to their final position, and greater emphasis will be placed on top positions. The intention is to better reflect consistency and sustained performance, without losing sight of the weight each player has within their team’s collective result.
The team model, a major beneficiary
LIV Golf has clearly decided to strengthen its commitment to team golf, one of the circuit’s distinctive pillars. From 2026, weekly team prizes will double, increasing from 5 to 10 million dollars per tournament. Additionally, all 13 teams will receive prizes each week based on their ranking, not just the top three as was the case until now. This is complemented by the creation of a new bonus of 2.3 million dollars per tournament, aimed at rewarding the individual performance of players who are part of teams that reach the podium.
In total, the season, composed of 14 events, will distribute 470 million dollars in prizes between individual and team rankings, a figure the league presents as a direct investment in the sustainability and long-term value of its franchises.
Tournaments with 72 holes and a larger field
As already announced, all LIV Golf tournaments will be played over 72 holes, a move that aligns the circuit with the traditional professional calendar and strengthens its competitive credibility. The goal is to ensure that the tour events earn points for the Official World Golf Ranking.
The field will also grow from 54 to 57 players, thanks to the inclusion of five Wild Cards. Two of them will come from the International Series of the Asian Tour and the other three from the LIV Golf promotion circuit, expanding access opportunities and global representation.
A pivotal 2026 in the circuit’s evolution
These changes come after a 2025 season marked by the success of the team model, with the Legión XIII, captained by Jon Rahm, being crowned champion after the Team Championship in Michigan.
LIV Golf presents this reform as another step in its consolidation as a global league, combining spectacle, music, and entertainment with a more demanding and recognisable sporting structure. The 2026 season will be, in that sense, a key test to measure how well the circuit manages to balance its disruptive identity with competition increasingly close to elite golf standards.
