The LIV Golf League has gone from strength to strength since its inaugural season in 2022, signing several of the biggest names in world golf.
Indeed, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have all won major championships since the start of 2023, becoming the only LIV players to do so over the previous three years.
Fewer events, less travel and more money, what’s not to like? But what is the format? And how does the whole thing work?
From individual and team competitions to lock zones and shotgun starts, we at Golf Today have you covered regarding the LIV Golf League format for 2025.
How many events are there in a LIV Golf season?
There were only eight events during 2022, with the first ever event taking place in London in June of that year. The season ended in October with the LIV Golf Invitational event held in Miami.
Ahead of the 2023 season, the number of events went from eight to 14 and this is the current number for the 2025 LIV Golf League. With events held across the globe, including in Australia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.
As the league continues to grow, there may well be more than 14 events for the 2026 season.
What is the format of each LIV Golf event?
Each event is held from Friday-Sunday with now cut and featuring all 54 players attached to the league.
The unique thing about every tournament – compared to those on the PGA, DPWT and Asian Tours – is the action begins with a shotgun start.
Basically, there will be 18 groups of players spread around the course at each hole, all teeing off at the same time.
How are points won in each LIV Golf event?
Ah, the next question. Just how do the players earn points in order to move up the induvial standings? It’s fairly straightforward.
The top 24 golfers at every competition from the field of 54 will earn points. The winner of each event will earn 40 points, second takes home 30 and third place will claim 24 points.
From fourth to 20th, there is a sliding scale of points awarded. While those finishing 21st to 24th will earn a single point for their troubles.
What is the prize fund for each LIV Golf event?
The prize fund for every LIV Golf League event is $25m – regardless if it is the first or 13th tournament of the season.
$20m is assigned to the individual competition, with $5m going towards the team event. The winner of each event takes home a nice little cheque of $4m, with last place earning $50,000. Not a bad day at the office indeed.
In the team event, £3m goes to the winning foursome as the second and third place finishers win $1.5m and $500,000 respectively.
How does the LIV Golf Individual Championship work?
After the 13th event of the season, the individual standings are finalised.
Whoever wins the most points across these 13 events takes home the title. Simple. However, every single place in the final rankings is important as it will determine everyone’s status for the following season and they will be divided into three categories.
The Lock Zone
The top 24 players in the standings will finish inside the Lock Zone. Meaning they will be guaranteed a contract offer for the following season.
If a player has a contract which is expiring, their team will offer a new one automatically. This is the area which all golfers want to end up in due to the security it offers going forward.
The Open Zone
This zone is for those who finish between 25th and 48th after 13 events. While players who finish in this zone could remain in the LIV Golf League, their current team are not obligated to extend a contract if it is expiring.
The Drop Zone
Places 49 and below. Those who finish in this zone could be relegated from the league. Although they do have a chance to win their spot back.
How does the LIV Golf Team Championship work?
The Team Championship is slightly more complicated. At this event, the highest-seeded teams choose their opponents for the quarter-finals on Friday from the lowest-seeded teams.
These quarter-finals utilise a match play format, with a team playing their opponent on a hole-by-hole basis. These quarter-final ties are comprised of three competitive games; two singles ties and a foursomes match.
The same format is followed on the Saturday, but Sunday, a traditional strokeplay format is used. All 52 team players will take part, and each score will contribute to their team’s overall score.
Of those competing in the top tier (No. 1 through to No. 4), the team with the lowest score will be crowned the LIV Golf League Team Champions.
There we have it, everything you needed to know about the format of the 2025 LIV Golf League.
