Lee Westwood takes a jibe at Rory McIlroy after the latter's comments on LIV Golf adopting the 72-hole format

Lee Westwood hit back at Rory McIlroy after the Northern Irishman criticized LIV Golf’s plan to switch from 54 holes to 72 holes starting next season. The change will take effect in 2026 as part of the Saudi-backed league’s efforts to align itself more closely with traditional professional golf formats.

Speaking on talkSPORT’s Breakfast Show on Thursday, Lee Westwood dismissed McIlroy’s opinion on the matter and hinted that the world No. 2 often changes his stance.

"I don't know. I don't pay too much attention to what Rory says, really. He'll change his mind for next week,” the Englishman said.

McIlroy who has long been a critic of LIV Golf called the league’s new move “peculiar” while speaking ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links. He argued that the switch goes against the league’s original concept of being different from the PGA and DP World Tours.

"I think it's a peculiar move. I think they could have got ranking points with three rounds. I don't think three rounds versus four rounds is what was holding them back,” McIlroy said earlier this week. "It certainly puts them more in line with traditional golf tournaments than what we've all done. It brings them back into not really being a destructor and sort is of falling more in line with what everyone else does."

LIV Golf is reportedly making the shift to help its players earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points something they have been unable to earn since joining the breakaway league in 2022. The shift also breaks from LIV’s core identity as “LIV” stands for 54 in Roman numerals representing the number of holes played in each event.

Lee Westwood defends LIV Golf’s format change as a positive move

Rory McIlroy may not be convinced by LIV Golf’s decision to extend its tournaments, Lee Westwood sees it as the right call.

"I think it was good for the players, good for the sponsors. And good for the fans more than anything. They get to see another day's golf," Westwood said.

He pointed out that several players on the circuit had been asking for a longer format, believing that 54-hole events left them underprepared for major championships. Extending tournaments, he said, would make competition tougher and bring LIV Golf in line with the structure used in the biggest events.

Since LIV Golf’s launch, only two major titles have been won by its players, Brooks Koepka’s 2023 PGA Championship and Bryson DeChambeau’s 2024 U.S. Open. Lee Westwood believes the 72-hole format could finally help bridge that gap with the rest of professional golf.

Edited by Sonali Verma