McIlroy calls the LIV changes to 72-hole tournaments 'peculiar'

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy has called LIV Golf's decision to expand its events to 72 holes "peculiar." The Saudi-backed tour will align itself more closely with traditional tours by moving from three to four rounds next year. This format change could strengthen LIV's bid for recognition by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), which is crucial since the four major tournaments use the ranking to determine their participants.

When the league began, the OWGR rejected LIV's application for ranking points, primarily due to concerns about its closed structure, where only 54 players compete year-round, excluding alternates who replace injured players. Furthermore, team competition could compromise the integrity of individual competition, as it is based on the same scoring system.

McIlroy has been critical of the disruption LIV has caused in the world of golf, and when asked about the switch to 72 holes during a press conference ahead of the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship, he commented: «I think it’s a peculiar move, because I think they could have gained ranking points with three rounds. I don’t think the difference between three and four rounds was what stopped them.».

The golfer added: «It certainly puts them more in line with traditional golf tournaments than what all of us have done. It takes them back to not really being a destroyer and aligns them more with what everyone else is doing. But if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get the ranking points, I guess it was what they had to do.».

McIlroy also expressed skepticism about how many ranking points will be available at LIV Golf events. «The strength of their courses will be so weak because many of the players have already dropped in the rankings due to not having any points for so long. I don’t know if the ranking points will actually benefit them,» he said. «Yes, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.».

This is McIlroy's twelfth Abu Dhabi tournament. He has reached nine top-three finals but has never won. The Northern Irishman currently leads the Race to Dubai season standings with two events remaining, and a victory this week would move him closer to his seventh title in what was the Order of Merit, one shy of Colin Montgomerie's record.