LIV Golf 2026: Talor Gooch Warns Against More Changes

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While expressing his disappointment at the world ranking point situation, Talor Gooch says LIV Golf should not be looking to make more changes to fit in with the Oifficial World Golf Ranking criteria.

The OWGR has awarded LIV Golf status as a smaller field event, with just the top 10 at each tournament winning world ranking points.

Gooch has gone a step further though, and argued against CEO Scott O'Neil making more changes in search of more ranking points, saying "we need to stay us, true to who we are."

"I mean, obviously I don't think the right thing was done, which is not any different than what we've experienced here at LIV for the last four or five seasons now," Gooch said about the ranking points allocation.

"Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. But I think anybody who says that the right thing was done and the fair thing was done, I don't think they're in tune with the reality of things.

"Hopefully there's some improvement there. Time will tell."

Gooch was a big hit on LIV Golf originally, winning three times in his second season to claim the 2023 individual prize - but he did not win after that until last year's tournament in Andalucia.

Talor Gooch with the trophy for winning the LIV Golf individual standings

LIV Golf has moved to 72 holes and extended promotion and relegation, and the OWGR has said it will monitor the situation to see if the points allocation needs to change.

Gooch, though, does not want the team tour to make too many alterations as it could risk losing its identity in the search for more ranking points.

"I think we all agree we need to stay us," Gooch added. "True to who we are and what we are. We're a global golf league that brings a totally different energy to the game.

"So we've got to continue to maintain the fabric of our character and who we are and what made us. What we started with in the beginning. I hope we don't go too far down the path of replicating everything just to appease somebody.

"At the end of the day, for the ranking of things, everybody knows the quality of golf that's out here. It's unfortunate that it's not recognized in the way that it should be. I just hope we don't lose ourselves in the chase for that.

"Like I said, for four or five years, we've experienced this and this being treated a certain way. I look forward to the day that we are treated the same as everybody else in the game of golf, and I think we've made plenty enough strides to try to join the ecosystem and try to appease people.

"I don't know what else to say. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out."

Should LIV make more changes, or has it already done enough to earn more OWGR ranking points? Have you say by joining the conversation below...

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.

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