LIV Golf pro in minority over format tweak: "Four rounds is such a long week"

Adrian Meronk says he accepts LIV Golf's decision to change format but preferred playing 54 holes. 

The PIF-backed league confirmed at the beginning of the month that from 2026 all LIV events will be contested over 72 holes, putting them in line with the sport's established tours. 

The move was surprising, given it was one of their founding principles and the league even takes its name from the Roman numeral for 54 - LIV. 

It was understood the move was made with the backing of the majority of LIV Golf players, with Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm among those to praise the change which Rory McIlroy described as "peculiar". 

Meronk, though, has told FlushingIt though that he was in the minority. "Personally, I prefer 54, but it's only my opinion," he said. 

"I accept 72. It's the same for everyone, so I just have to adjust and kind of prepare a little bit differently for those.

Asked what difference the tweak will make, Meronk said: "I think it's not going to be as aggressive from the beginning as it was. So yeah, back to traditional golf, I guess.

"I don't know, it just felt like a nice, quick tournament, you know, for me, four rounds is just such a long week. You have to stay focused for so long, and just, the days are so long, you know?

"That's what I really like about LIV. Initially coming to LIV, very quick tournaments, as soon as you start. Boom, you play, either you're up there or you're preparing for next week. So, yeah, that's what I think."

What did Rory McIlroy say?

Rory McIlroy has always been outspoken about LIV Golf so it was no surprise that he was asked about LIV Golf's most recent change when the stunning news broke. 

It is generally assumed that LIV Golf decided to switch to a 72-hole format to strengthen their bid to be recognised by the sport's global rankings body. 

McIlroy, 36, said he believed LIV Golf were likely to get Official World Golf Ranking accreditation if they continued with their 54-hole format. 

"It certainly puts them more in line with traditional golf tournaments than what we've all done," he said. 

"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."

McIlroy also questioned how many ranking points will be on offer at LIV Golf events.

"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 said. 

"Yeah, it will be interesting to see how it plays out."