LIV Golf Isn’t Done Making Changes in Hopes of Acceptance From Official World Golf Ranking

CEO Scott O'Neil said LIV Golf plans more changes, in addition to 72-hole events, as it tries to strengthen its case for OWGR recognition.

LIV Golf players will compete over four rounds and for more money in 2025. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — If LIV Golf has been diminished because five-time major winner Brooks Koepka has left and that other recent major-winners could follow, you’d never know it from the message conveyed Wednesday’s state-of-the-league gathering of LIV executives.

As part of a media preview week at the Palm Beach Convention Center, CEO Scott O’Neil, president of business operations Chris Heck, head of events Ross Hallett and executive vice president, head of team business and operations Katie O’Reilly met with the media to discuss the future, which will see the league play 14 events this year, starting next month in Riyadh.

O’Reilly wants to grow the value of LIV’s franchises to $1 billion for each of the 13 teams, Heck said there’s been considerable interest from possible franchise owners and said an overhaul of the TV production is underway.

And O’Neil talked about achieving more acceptance within the larger golf ecosystem, including his recent conciliatory approach.

“It’s probably my biggest surprise since coming into LIV Golf,” said O’Neil, who has been in his role for a year. “I wasn’t here maybe a month, and I was sent an invitation to come to the Masters by [Augusta National’s] Will Jones.

“Every step of the way, every meeting I’ve had, every engagement I have, from—Mark Darbon and I started about the same time, as well, at the R&A, of course, and Mike Whan with the USGA has opened his arms.

“I feel like everywhere we turn, there are more and more people that want to see some structure and framework emerge in global golf, and I think we’re on the precipice of that.”

To that end, O’Neil made clear again his desire for the league to get Official World Golf Ranking accreditation, a process that dates to last summer when he officially applied.

LIV Golf was initially rejected in October 2023 and never reapplied until last summer. Both O’Neil and OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman, the former Masters champion and now CBS analyst, have said they’ve communicated extensively over the last several months, with no indication when a decision will be made.

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil said he continues to be contact with Trevor Immelman around LIV's OWGR application. | Ben Jared/Getty Images

“We have several changes coming this year,” he said. “But the move to 72 holes was much talked about. For us, that was relatively simple. We want to make sure that our players are best prepared for the majors, that it’s not as much of a sprint, that our teams have a chance to recover after a tough day one. And with the overwhelming support we have seen in several of our markets, quite frankly, more content is better. More fans come in, more broadcast content, social hospitality.

“So it was good for business, great for golf, and I think resoundingly supported by everyone in the ecosystem and certainly at LIV.

“You’ll see an expanded Lock Zone, an expanded Drop Zone this year, which as we’re working towards world ranking points, we think there’s some things, some shifts you’ll see in '26 that I think help our case and continue to give us more hope that that comes through.”

O’Neil said he’s in frequent contact with Immelman and is hopeful of resolution soon.

“I’ve said publicly 100 times but I’ll just repeat it. I think he has the toughest job in the world,” O’Neil said. “Think about his board. As a CEO for a long time, I’ve had different boards and they all come with their own complexities. His is made up of the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the four majors, and there’s some people on that board that don't have a lot to gain by us getting world ranking points.

“Trevor has the complexity of where the rankings are today, where some of the greatest golfers in the world are on that ranking system, and they happen to play in LIV. We are trying to lean in—we are all trying to lean in as quickly as we can and as far as we can, while keeping the integrity of the league, to make sure we’re doing everything possible to make the decision easy and quick.

“But the intention is to get this done before the season starts. That's the intention. But hey, I don’t have a vote, ironically enough. Hopefully that news comes through and true, and I’m still going to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize if we get this thing done.”

LIV Golf purses are going even higher

A few other topics:

* The weekly purses are going up to more than $22 million for the individual competition (from $20 million) and to $10 million (from $5 million) for the teams.

* O’Reilly said the league is actively working to enhance the franchises to seek owners.

“Our goal is to build 13 billion-dollar franchises,” she said. “That is our goal. Are we there yet? No. But right now we are building the foundation for that ... right now we are focused on things like driving sponsorship revenue. Each of our 13 teams are heading into the 2026 season with a marquee partner, whether it's on their chest, on the hat, the Pings, the Callaways of the world.

“Additionally, we are building new businesses under the teams and we are leveraging and using our NIL rights. So right now we are foundation-building. But certainly we are headed that way.”

Said Heck: “I think it’s fair to say that we have a very heavy interest coming our way, all of us, of getting a lot of calls and real interest. But we are trying to do this wisely and also responsible for what we think is something that’s going to keep building and building in value. So that’s exciting.”

* O’Neil said he got word in advance of the PGA Tour’s plans to announce Brooks Koepka’s path back to the Tour along with three other major champions who would be eligible—Bryson DeChambeau, Cam Smith and Jon Rahm—to return due to their major status.

“Naming the players ... me personally, I would have named a lot more of them. I think we are loaded with talent,” O’Neil said.

“Look, Bryson and Jon and Cam are not only wonderful leaders and extraordinary golfers and great people and understand their role in growing the game of golf. They have all that down. But DJ [Dustin Johnson], that would have been one I would have added. Dean Burmester, Carlos Ortiz, Seb Muñoz? I could spend 10, 15 minutes and go down this roster of guys that I think are elite human beings, elite talent, understand the growth of the game, understand the power of the world of golf.”