LIV Announces Its Field Size for 2026
LIV Golf will expand to a 57-player field in 2026, adding an extra roster spot that will be awarded at next month’s LIV Golf Promotions Event in Florida. The league will retain its 13-team, four-man structure, with five players competing as individuals outside the team framework. Two of those individual spots have already been claimed, with Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji earning their places through the Asian Tour’s International Series standings. The additional spot will be filled through the Promotions Event, reinforcing LIV’s commitment to a qualifying pathway while keeping its team-centric identity intact as it enters the next phase of its evolution.
The timing of the announcement is notable. It comes on the same day the Official World Golf Ranking confirmed it remains in discussions with LIV regarding potential accreditation. The expanded roster is widely viewed as another move designed to strengthen LIV’s case for ranking points, following its earlier decision to transition from 54-hole events to 72-hole tournaments, effective in 2026. Structurally, the 57-player format enables 19 groups of three players within LIV’s shotgun start system, thereby maintaining competitive balance while addressing previous criticisms about field size and competitive depth. In 2025, LIV operated with a 54-player field, supplemented by only two wild cards outside the teams, making the 2026 expansion a modest but meaningful adjustment.
LIV Golf Promotions is scheduled for January 8th-11th at Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida, and will be contested over four days and 72 holes. The top three finishers will earn full LIV status, while the top 10 and ties will secure exemptions on the Asian Tour’s International Series. As of now, 83 players are registered for the event, which is expected to be deemed unauthorized by the PGA Tour. Any player holding PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions, or Korn Ferry Tour status would not be granted a media rights release and could face disciplinary action if they choose to participate. That reality underscores the ongoing divide in professional golf, even as LIV continues to refine its structure and push toward broader recognition. The stakes remain high as tensions persist.
