LIV Golf is making this key format change ahead of 2025 season opener in Saudi Arabia
What better time to announce a format change than the day before the season opener?
LIV Golf announced Wednesday a major part of its format was changing for the 2025 season. Every player’s score in every round will count toward their team’s total score in the team competition at each regular season tournament. Last year, the top three scores counted in the first two rounds before all four players counted in the final round.
This year, a bad score can't be dropped.
"I like it. I like it," Jon Rahm said Wednesday at his pre-tournament press conference. "I think it benefits a team like ours. I think we have four really strong players that are really consistent. So I think it's better for the league in general for everybody to matter every single day because Sunday is usually really, really fun. At least last year it was incredibly fun in that regard."
If the format would've been in play last year, Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC would've been the top team at 96 under par for the year, with Joaquin Niemann's Torque GC coming in second at 94 under.
More: After avoiding them in league's infancy, LIV Golf taking on PGA Tour's top events in 2025
In addition to the scoring change, a substitution rule has been amended. If a player withdraws during a round, his team may select one of the available reserve players to play the remainder of the round or tournament.
If a player withdraws between the play of two holes, the reserve will begin play on the following hole. If a player withdraws while playing a hole, the reserve will put his ball in play at the same spot as the original ball and complete the hole.
If a player starts a tournament but is forced to withdraw while on the course, that player can return to compete for his team at the start of any remaining rounds. But he will only compete to contribute a team score, not in the individual competition.
Better late than never for LIV Golf to announce its rule changes. The season kicks off Thursday under the lights in Saudi Arabia.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: LIV Golf to count all team scores each round during 2025 season