LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil remains optimistic that the tour will obtain official world golf ranking points for its players by the 2026 season.
Since LIV Golf launched in 2022, it has been barred from the Official World Golf Rankings due to its 54-hole, no-cut, closed-field format. Gaining OWGR points, LIV believes, would be transformative, expanding major championship qualification for its players and removing a major hurdle standing between LIV and the broader golf ecosystem.
O'Neil described the ongoing discussions with OWGR as promising. In an interview with BBC Sport NI, he noted, “We are working very closely with [chairman] Trevor Immelman and the OWGR board. It’s likely this will have an impact at some point. Trevor is doing an extraordinary and challenging job toward a solution that we hope to have in place by next season. There are a whole host of things we are working through.”
A key potential change is LIV’s move from a 54-hole format to the traditional 72-hole structure. Whether this shift is a concession or a strategic step toward broader legitimacy remains to be seen, but O'Neil emphasizes that the decision is also motivated by commercial realities. Sponsors and broadcasting partners seek more TV airtime, and the extra competition day would permit LIV to build in concerts, DJs, and enhanced fan experiences that have become central to LIV events.
“Whatever we have to do to get more people invested in this great game, we’ll do it,” O'Neil stated.
Despite the format shift, the LIV name—represented by the Roman numeral 54—will endure. O'Neil explained that while the numeral originally symbolized a round featuring a birdie on every hole, as well as the total number of holes in a tournament or participants, the brand’s identity has since outgrown the numeric association.
With more than 25 years of experience managing global sports and entertainment brands, O'Neil outlined a dual approach for LIV Golf: grow and expand globally while staying open to collaboration with the rest of the sport, without rushing toward a full merger that had been tentatively discussed by the PGA Tour, LIV, and the DP World Tour in 2023.
Negotiations remain active more than two years later, even after an intervention by former U.S. president Donald Trump. O'Neil argues that distinct leagues with different goals can coexist and occasionally collaborate. He drew an analogy to motorsport—the PGA Tour is very U.S.-centric and excels in its domain, whereas LIV operates as a global tour. He contrasted LIV with Formula One and IndyCar, describing LIV as offering a broader cultural experience that blends sports with fashion, art, and world-class hospitality in major cities worldwide.
Regarding reunification with the PGA Tour, O'Neil’s stance is measured but clear. He indicated that preliminary discussions with new PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp have focused on establishing their own organizational foundations first, while acknowledging potential opportunities to create more playing experiences and joint platforms if it makes sense for LIV.
Rory McIlroy, a five-time major champion on the PGA Tour, recently criticized LIV’s substantial player contracts as “irrational spending” and warned that a merger would face significant obstacles if LIV continues to outspend rivals. O'Neil declined to engage in a war of words with McIlroy, praising the golfer’s storied career while reiterating a commitment to building the world’s greatest sports league and highlighting LIV’s global player base and travel commitments.
When pressed about further major investments in player contracts, O'Neil responded with an 11-month perspective, noting that he was not present during LIV’s initial setup or the earlier intense dynamics in the ecosystem. Since arriving at LIV on January 1, he has built a commercial leadership team he believes is second to none. He also underscored LIV’s growth ambitions across markets such as Australia, Korea, the UK, North America, South Africa, Mexico, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, emphasizing a belief that golf fans exist everywhere and that LIV aims to reach them.
