LIV Golf: Talor Gooch throws body blow to 72-hole events amid OWGR controversy

Gooch has bought into LIV Golf’s 54-hole tournament structure and destroyed typical tournaments.

LIV Golf’s 2023 individual champion, Talor Gooch, dropped another hot take.

While some fellow players, like Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm, would not mind going to 72 holes, Gooch believes the format should not be adjusted, per Bunkered.

Even Phil Mickelson exclaimed he would not be shocked to see LIV Golf expand their tournaments to 72 holes.

“It’s funny to me, this arbitrary number of 72,” Gooch said. “Why is it not 90? Why is it not 108? We decided to make that number the number, for what reason?”

The current structure of PGA Tour events has been this way for a long time. Even the U.S. Open has been a four-day, 72-hole event since 1898.

Since the PGA Tour’s rival league launched, it has attempted to get Official World Golf Rankings. The OWGR denied members of LIV Golf points for a number of reasons. One of the primary reasons is the 54 hole structure.

“Everyone’s talked about world ranking points and all this stuff, but no one’s talked about what the fans enjoy more? People want something that’s going to be more exciting,” Gooch said. “I personally think that the 54 holes is more exciting for the fans.”

If someone were to look him up on the OWGR, Gooch currently ranks No. 586 worldwide.

His comment also raises the question of what evidence Gooch has that fans enjoy 54 holes more than 72. The television ratings are down. The Masters proved that.

Gooch’s comments throughout the last few months have been interesting. In February, he suggested there should be an asterisk beside Rory McIlroy’s name if he completed the grand slam without some of the LIV players not participating.

Golf fans roasted Gooch so hard for that remark.

Despite earning three LIV Golf titles in 2023 and the individual season-long crown, Gooch stayed home last week while 13 of his colleagues teed it up at Augusta National. Perhaps LIV Golf should move to 72-hole events to better prepare them for the majors they will play in.

For the most part, the members from the upstart league fell flat on their face at Augusta.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.