Rory McIlroy has labelled LIV Golf’s decision to extend its tournaments to 72 holes as a "peculiar move”, as the Saudi-backed circuit moves to align itself more closely with traditional golf tours.
This format change, from three rounds to four, is widely seen as an attempt to bolster LIV’s bid for recognition by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), crucial for players to qualify for golf’s four majors.
The OWGR previously rejected LIV’s application for ranking points, citing concerns over its closed-shop format of 54 consistent players and how its team competition might compromise individual scoring integrity.
McIlroy, a vocal critic of LIV’s impact on the sport, offered his perspective on the shift ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
"I think it’s a peculiar move," McIlroy said, "because I think they could have got ranking points with three rounds. I don’t think three rounds vs. four rounds is what was holding them back.
“It certainly puts them more in line with traditional golf tournaments than what we’ve all done," he added.
"It brings them back into not really being a destructor and sort of is falling more in line with what everyone else does. But if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get the ranking points, I guess that’s what they had to do."
The Northern Irishman further questioned the actual value of any potential ranking points, given the current state of LIV’s player roster.
"Because their strength of fields are going to be so weak because a lot of the guys have fallen already in the rankings because they have not had ranking points for so long, I don’t know if the ranking points are really going to benefit them," McIlroy remarked, concluding: "Yeah, it will be interesting to see how it plays out."
Meanwhile, McIlroy is competing in the Abu Dhabi tournament for the 12th time, seeking his first victory despite nine previous top-three finishes.
He currently leads the season-long Race to Dubai standings with two events remaining; a win this week could bring him closer to a seventh title, just one shy of Colin Montgomerie’s record.
