There has been plenty of change in the LIV Golf League over the past few weeks and months, with more tweaks expected to arrive before the 2026 campaign kick off in Riyadh early next month.
But with the potential exception of Brooks Koepka returning to the PGA Tour, nothing was more seismic than LIV's decision to expand its format from 54 to 72 holes back in November.
The move, which was given the green light in order to appease the PIF-backed circuit's OWGR application, was initially met with surprise from fans and public support by at least some of LIV Golf's captains - but not all.
Although the likes of Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau went on record as backing the call late last year, RangeGoats skipper Bubba Watson was left out of the official press release.
And speaking to The Mirror US' Sam Frost during the 2026 LIV Golf media week recently, it became clear why.
Watson was asked for his reaction to LIV's format change and whether he supported the move, to which the 2012 and 2014 Masters winner replied: "Um, no.
"I think we should go three days. And there’s a reason why. I think with the sprint, everyone stays together. When you go four days you’re going to have some more spread out leaders, and it just kind of takes away your last round, right?
“When everybody’s close battling, it puts more people in the mix on a Sunday or the last round on a Saturday, whichever tournament you’re at, and so that just makes it better for the fans when there’s chaos happening.”
Shortly after the news about LIV's format change was confirmed in early November, Tyrrell Hatton revealed he and his fellow players were asked in a questionnaire at the end of 2024 whether they would want to see four days and 72 holes introduced.
The Englishman shared ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship that, at the time, only three players supported the idea and suggested via his response that he was one of them.
Hatton said: "I think it's a good thing that LIV has moved to four rounds. I know at the end of my first season, there was a questionnaire that was filled out.
"One of the questions was about moving to 72 holes, and of everyone who filled it out, I think there was only three guys, initially, who had said [yes] about moving there [to 72 holes].
"I guess that's changed quite a bit in the last year. Certainly from my standpoint, I'm quite happy that we've moved to 72 holes.”
Interesting from Tyrrell 👇Said today that at the end of 2024, @LIVGolf players filled in a questionnaire. One question asked if players wanted to move to 72 holes.Only 3 of 48 players said yes.Yet, a year later, the league has confirmed it'll now play 72-hole events. pic.twitter.com/pW6PsZD8IyNovember 5, 2025
Although Watson would have preferred LIV to stick with its original number of holes, the left-hander will not waiver in his pursuit of a first individual title once the campaign begins in Riyadh on February 4.
The 47-year-old came closest at LIV Golf UK last season, ending solo second and three strokes behind champion, Joaquin Niemann, while he has also lifted a team title with his RangeGoats at LIV Golf Singapore in 2023.
However, nothing would compare to either a team championship with the RangeGoats or a maiden solo prize.
Watson said: "I want to win on LIV. I haven’t lifted an individual trophy on LIV… I would love to lift a championship trophy for a team on LIV. That’d be another notch on the belt.”
