LIV Golf revealed significant changes to its 2026 season format on January 28, including a switch to 72-hole events and enhanced team incentives, while also unveiling a new partnership with Rolex for premium hospitality. These announcements highlight the league's focus on competitive integrity and global expansion. The season will begin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from February 4-7.
LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed professional golf league, made two major announcements on January 28, 2026, signaling its ambitions for the upcoming year. First, the league detailed updates to its competition structure, responding to feedback from players and stakeholders to foster elite performance and team success.
Key changes include expanding the field to 57 players from 54, with five wild card spots awarded via the International Series and LIV Golf Promotions. All events will adopt a 72-hole format, aligning more closely with traditional professional golf while maintaining LIV's unique atmosphere. The season-long standings will feature an expanded Lock Zone for the top 34 players (up from 24), an Open Zone for positions 35-46, and a larger Drop Zone for relegation covering 47-57, increasing turnover and merit-based access.
A revised points system will distribute more points overall, rewarding all finishing positions with greater emphasis on top performers, both individually and for teams. Team incentives are boosted significantly: weekly team prize money doubles to $10 million per event, with all 13 teams earning payouts based on position rather than just the top three. An additional $2.3 million per event will reward individual contributions in podium-finishing teams, totaling $470 million in purses across 14 events.
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil emphasized the updates' purpose: “Our continued mission is to build a league that grows the game of golf competitively, commercially and culturally. The changes we’re introducing for 2026 are about rewarding consistency, strengthening team golf, and creating clearer pathways for players to earn their place and progress within the League.”
Complementing these developments, LIV Golf secured an official partnership with Rolex, the Swiss watchmaker known for its ties to the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and golf majors. The deal centers on premium hospitality experiences for Rolex guests at events worldwide, targeting emerging markets like Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, and Mexico. The 2026 schedule spans 10 countries across five continents, including a debut event in South Africa from March 19-22.
Rolex Director of Communication and Image Arnaud Boetsch noted: “This partnership with LIV Golf will expand our presence to new locations across the globe, offering guests unique experiences, elevated hospitality and special moments with some of the sport’s best players.” Several Rolex ambassadors compete in LIV Golf, including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, and Martin Kaymer.
These steps mark LIV Golf's ongoing effort to build commercial credibility and global reach, without altering Rolex's existing relationships in the sport.
