Earlier this week, LIV Golf announced that the league would be switching to a 72-hole format. It is largely part of a bid to be recognized by the OWGR in the ongoing effort to get the players back in the rankings through LIV. However, according to Tyrrell Hatton, this push was initially rejected by the players.
The LIV Golf Format Change
LIV Golf has been in the headlines all week for this format change. For its short life, the league has stuck to a 54-hole format, along with the teams, and shotgun starts to keep the tournaments moving quickly. As a bid for OWGR points, the move has drawn criticism from other professional players, such as Rory McIlroy, who thought the league could have been recognized with the original format. It seems that McIlroy wasn’t alone in his criticism, according to Tyrrell Hatton.
Tyrrell Hatton On The Initial Reaction
Over on the LIV Golf side, the initial reaction was lukewarm at best. The players were made aware of the change nearly a year in advance. In a press conference ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Hatton was asked about the format change. He revealed that there were internal polls to gauge opinion on a change.
“I know at the end of my first season, there was a questionnaire that was filled out. One of the questions was about moving to 72 holes,” Hatton said. “I think of everyone who filled it out, I think there was only three guys, initially, who had said [yes] about moving there [to 72 holes]. I guess that’s changed quite a bit in the last year, and certainly from my standpoint. I’m quite happy that we’ve moved to 72 holes.”
Hatton would say that he did support the change from the start. The 72-hole format is much more in line with a traditional golf tournament and is what all the star players were used to. Since those original polls, it seems that opinion has shifted on the change.
Hatton Sees Player Opinion On The Change
In the past, players like Dustin Johnson have stated that they like how relaxed LIV Golf felt compared to leagues like the PGA. In the press conference, Hatton admits that he has seen the opinion shift on the matter. The shift is getting a lot of support from the star players. Dustin Johnson said that he thinks it’s a great move, given that it is more like other big tournaments. Bryson DeChambeau has called it a “fantastic evolution. Joaquinn Niemann is just excited to see the change.
Is This A Positive Move?
Opinions on the LIV Golf format change seem to be pretty positive from Hatton’s point of view. Outside of the league, opinion is more split. As stated before, Rory McIlroy is unsure about it; others are speculating if this is actually a sign of the league’s decline. It can keep the players better prepared for the majors. It is still unknown if this will work for OWGR points, but that may not be addressed by the organization until the 2026 season.
Main Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
