LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil sought to quell speculation about the league’s financial future in a staff memo saying the 2026 season will proceed “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.”
The memo, shared with The Associated Press, came after reports suggested Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund might cut backing for the breakaway circuit. The Daily Telegraph said LIV executives were called to an “emergency meeting” in New York, and the Financial Times reported the Public Investment Fund (PIF) was considering withdrawing support, though no final decision had been announced.
Money in Sport reported in February that LIV had already spent $5.3bn and was projected to top $6bn by year-end. Sky Sports said players were confused and seeking reassurances; team captains had not been told of any imminent announcement.
“I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle,” O’Neil wrote. “While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass. We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organisation that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before.”
LIV launched in June 2022 with PIF funding, paying roughly $1bn in signing bonuses to stars including Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Prize money was raised to $30m this year for individuals and teams. Some names have since left—Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under conditions, and Patrick Reed is playing a DP World Tour schedule this year and is likely to regain PGA Tour eligibility in 2027 via DP World Tour points.
Questions about LIV’s future arose after PIF unveiled a new five-year investment strategy focused on “maximising impact, raising the efficiency of investments, and applying the highest standards of governance, transparency and institutional excellence.” PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan told the Financial Times the US-Israel war against Iran added pressure to reprioritise.
At LIV Golf Mexico at Chapultepec, players had no definitive answers. Sergio Garcia, captain of Fireballs GC, said in Spanish players would heed Al-Rumayyan’s earlier assurance that PIF had a long-term plan for LIV. One anonymous player said Al-Rumayyan met players in March in Hong Kong and indicated funding was secured through 2032. O’Neil arrived in Mexico City and was due to meet players; LIV promoted the event on social media with the message: “Slow news day? We are ON.”
LIV has staged five events this year—in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa—and celebrated an emotional win in Australia when Anthony Kim triumphed after a 12-year comeback from addiction. DeChambeau won the last two events in playoffs and this week aimed to become the first LIV player to win three straight. LIV’s first US tournament is scheduled for May 7-10 at Trump National in Virginia.
O’Neil framed the situation as part of the “startup movement” experience: “We signed up for this because we believe in disrupting the status quo. We have faced headwinds since the jump, and we’ve answered every time with resilience and grace. Now, we answer by doing what we do best: putting on the most compelling show in sports.”
Sky Sports pundit Paul McGinley described the story as fast-developing and said there must be “a lot of truth to it,” adding that the influx of huge prize funds had given players leverage and created what he called a “false economy” that might now need readjusting.
Sky Sports chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol suggested PIF is reassessing how much to invest in sport. He noted PIF’s new strategy did not explicitly list sport among the seven focus areas, though sport can be grouped under tourism and entertainment. Solhekol said PIF expects returns and that continuing to fund a loss-making venture like LIV could be untenable: “They have invested $5bn so far and it’s expected that were they to continue funding LIV it would still lose money for the next five to 10 years.”
LIV began as a 54-hole series and switched to 74 holes for 2026 in hopes of securing Official World Golf Ranking points. The 2026 schedule included a total prize fund of $30m, with team prizes doubled to $10m and a $20m individual purse. LIV started with 12 teams and 48 players, expanded to 13 teams, and has lost notable players in recent months.
As speculation about PIF’s commitment continues, LIV emphasised readiness to proceed with events and staff were urged to focus on staging the season.