Editor's note: This story was originally published November 14, 2025, on The First Call's Substack platform.
Twins, in golf slang, means making a score of 11 on a hole.
Hypothetical example: “I lost count on that last hole, Rick … what’d you have?” “Twins,” Rick grumbles, even though by my count he actually made a 13.
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf will never be twins and may never resolve their framework agreement that grows rustier by the month. But LIV Golf’s recently announced changes are part of a trend.
LIV Golf is becoming more like the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour is becoming more like LIV Golf.
What happened to LIV Golf’s renegade “Golf but louder” attitude and the PGA Tour’s self-assessment, courtesy of former commissioner Jay Monahan, of “pure competition?”
LIV Golf is going to go from 54-hole tournaments to 72 holes, the professional standard, as part of a renewed effort to qualify for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. It also added two more qualifying spots, doubling its previous total. LIV Golf has not said whether its events will have a 36-hole cut. It had previously expanded from 48 to 54 players per event. The changes are all in response to OWGR reasons why LIV hasn’t qualified for ranking points.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour has made moves to counter its rival. It immediately jacked up its purses to nearly match the $4 million first-prize money offered by LIV. That was an unsustainable model that led to the PGA Tour partnering with investment group SSG, which agreed to inject $1.5 billion into the PGA Tour.
That deal and the tour’s new for-profit model have led to changes such as the signature events, which feature smaller fields of 60 to 75 players with no cut. And it’s being done with the blessing of the Player Advisory Committee. Effectively, with the tour’s top players calling the shots now, they have reaped huge financial rewards, including giving themselves equity shares, and have pulled up the ladder behind them.
New CEO Brian Rolapp, fresh in from the National Football League, makes it clear he thinks dramatic changes are necessary. He thinks scarcity is an ideal for the tour, which hints at reducing the number of PGA Tour events and possibly the size of the tournament fields. Playing opportunities for the rank-and-file are under threat and this comes shortly after the Tour reduced the all-exempt list from 125 players to 100.
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf will never be identical twins but they share one attribute — greed. But hey, it’s just business. And sometimes in business, changes are necessary.
Meanwhile, some thoughts on LIV Golf:
◼ The change to 72 holes: This may not help much to get OWGR points. I’m not sure the 54-hole format wasn’t just an excuse for the OWGR, run by opponents of LIV Golf, to not give LIV Golf ranking points. But the change is a way for LIV Golf to chip away at the OWGR’s reluctance to recognize it. Only four qualifying spots per year? That’s still not legit relegation. The field sizes and the no-cut format are probably bigger sticking points.
◼ Fan support: Every time I write about LIV, I get emails from readers who say they “don’t care about LIV and never will” and won’t read past the headline. LIV Golf hasn’t gotten traction yet in the U.S. It’s a different story in the rest of the world, as there are many countries and major population centers that are underserved by professional golf. LIV draws well in Australia and Asia and many other locations. It should be less focused on playing in the U.S. and going up against PGA Tour telecasts, and more focused on global branding.
◼ Ranking points: Do I care whether LIV players get ranking points? No. They should have known they weren’t going to get them. Ranking points only matter to LIV players in regard to the four major championships, which award exemptions based on world rankings. Two of those majors, the U.S. Open and Open Championship, have qualifying, so LIV players can still get in those events via that route. Do we miss any specific players if they don’t play in a major? Nope. Golf is bigger than any one player (well, Tiger Woods was an exception). Also, I’m not a fan of the OWGR. The rankings are fatally flawed and shouldn’t be used to determine eligibility for the most important events, or any events, but if you think Russell Henley was really the No. 3 player in the world last summer, then the OWGR is the system for you. Henley is a nice man and a very nice player. But No. 3? I don’t think so.
◼ The business of LIV: LIV Golf lost $590 million in 2024 and an estimated $1.5 billion over its four-year run. Those losses were so high, Sheikh Anybody (pick one) didn’t have that much in his wallet and had to hit the ATM at Qwik Trip to cover the rest. Even Bill Gates doesn’t have sheikh money, but he does oppose cow farting and is a member at Augusta National. The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund has bottomless wealth. It’s a fact: Even rich guys tire of losing money at some point. It’s also a fact: PIF isn’t most rich guys.
◼ The cut: It doesn’t seem workable for LIV to have a significant 36-hole cut. For starters, only 54 players are competing. Second, it has a concurrent team event going on. Third, having a cut would mess up the original appeal of LIV Golf for players — it is guaranteed money, lots of it, and amounts to an appearance fee. At LIV Golf Indianapolis in August, Frederik Kjettrup finished 54th and was paid $50,000. Nice work if you can get it.
◼ Team golf: I always thought LIV Golf had a better chance to succeed by sticking to team golf. Mixing the team competition with the standard individual stroke play competition distracts from the team title. Imagine if each LIV team was a franchise, the same as the Oakland A’s or New England Patriots. They are, sort of, and have owners and sell ownership stakes. Suppose players were traded or put on waivers or called up from the Asian Tour. Suppose LIV Golf had team standings all season en route to a playoff system. And none of that was overshadowed by who shot the lowest 72-hole score. LIV Golf intended to be different. But the team part has been branded poorly. And the names? The Cleeks, Ripper, Range Goats? Ask your golfing pals how many LIV teams they can name. That will tell you the level of interest in the American public. I’d set the over/under on that answer at one-and-a-half.
◼ The LIV show: PGA Tour Champions is like LIV Golf. They are fun events to attend, it is easy to see the golf and there are some recognizable names playing. The problem is, most of the tournaments have no meaning. The senior circuit has some real majors, such as the Senior PGA, Senior U.S. Open and Senior Open Championship. But LIV events are blank slates. LIV Golf Michigan? That name doesn’t resonate. LIV Golf events don’t necessarily return to the same courses or the same cities the following years, and don’t have memorable titles. It makes you realize that the courses the PGA Tour plays on are stars as much as the players, and so are many of the tournaments that are community staples. Say “Phoenix Open” and we instantly know TPC Scottsdale and the loud, colosseum-like 16th hole. Say “Pebble Beach” and we know the celebrity pro-am part and every hole at Pebble. Riviera, Colonial, TPC Sawgrass, East Lake, Torrey Pines. LIV Golf events in the U.S. are nomads. We can’t get a handle on them.
◼ The stars: Which LIV players do we really miss on the PGA Tour? Just one. Bryson DeChambeau. It wasn’t that long ago when he was The Show on the PGA Tour. He bulked up and was hitting 380-yard drives and moved the needle. Since LIV Golf is off the radar of most U.S. fans, he has built an Internet empire with videos and stunts and is just as popular as ever. Oh, we’re missing a few other good players, too, like Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann and Patrick Reed. Rahm won two majors, Smith won an Open. But do they move the needle? Not like DeChambeau, not even close. The Tour misses them but sorry gents, doesn’t need them.
◼ Reunification: Don’t hold your breath. The PGA Tour wants LIV Golf to go away. That’s a tough point to negotiate around. Some LIV players have contracts coming up for renewal. It remains to be seen if some of the big names get big money again or if they become disenchanted and try to return to the PGA Tour. Is jumping back even an option? There is no formula in place but any return policy may involve a waiting period, a large fine or commitments to play an undetermined number of lower-tier Tour events. It hasn’t happened yet. We’ll see. DeChambeau’s contract runs through 2026 and he is reportedly in talks about renewing it early. What’s that mean? LIV isn’t going away.
