LIV Golf’s Biggest Star Wants a 72-Hole Format

LIV Golf’s biggest star is Jon Rahm, arguably. But what is not arguable is the fact that the new and hip golf tour is playing abbreviated tournaments, which has made the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) think twice about recognizing it and could be a factor in the delayed and lagging merger negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).

LIV is the Roman numeral for 54, which represents the number of players in its field and the number of holes a tournament spans over the course of a weekend. Of course, detractors of the new golf tour have pointed this out as evidence that it is only an exhibition. However, there are advantages, including more time away from the course, one of the biggest reasons for the defection of former PGA Tour professionals.

There are aces, and then there are skipping aces. 🔥

Jon Rahm in 2020. ⬇️pic.twitter.com/k721qbqxHd

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 8, 2024

However, Jon Rahm, the current Masters Champion and the #3 golfer in the world, according to the OWGR, believes it is time for LIV to shift (via BBC):

“If there ever was a way where LIV could go to 72 holes, I think it would help all of this argument a lot. The closer I think we can get LIV Golf to some other things, the better. I think it would be for some kind of unification to feed into a world tour or something like that. I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I definitely wouldn’t mind going back to 72 holes.”

Rahm, who was arguably the hottest golfer in the world last year, along with Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Viktor Hovland, all having their own arguments, is the only one to defect to LIV. The Spaniard is well aware that his move might have caused major waves in negotiations and could have been an accelerator in the two Tours making a move to unite:

“I understood the weight that [my] decision could have and the impact it could have. I understood that perfectly, and that’s why it wasn’t an easy decision. The balance of golf could be disturbed a little bit. Luckily, in my career, especially last year, I accomplished a lot, and I got to be one of the bigger names in golf. There are few active players that could have had a bigger impact than myself in that sense. Not to be patting myself on the back too much, but I understood the position I was in.”

Rahm looks to become the first back-to-back Masters Champion since Tiger Woods repeated in 2001 and 2002.

Cover Image via CNN