LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is expected to resign in an announcement set for Thursday afternoon that will also officially confirm the removal of future Saudi funding from the breakaway league, Sky Sports News understands.
The move would represent LIV’s first formal acknowledgement that funding from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) — which Al-Rumayyan has overseen since 2015 — will not continue beyond 2026, as the organisation seeks to transition to new leadership and financing.
Sources familiar with LIV’s business operations say the company plans to publish a new strategic plan aimed at finding long-term investors and is actively engaging prospective backers. Those sources added that LIV discussed future plans with its 13 team captains, including major champions Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, during a call on Tuesday evening.
Sky Sports News also understands several players are exploring options outside LIV, a trend that follows earlier high-profile departures such as Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed. Despite that, company insiders told Sky Sports the organisation remains committed to a global tour and the team-golf model, noting strong recent fan attendance — more than 200,000 across events in Australia and South Africa this year.
The shift away from PIF funding has reportedly been in LIV’s long-term planning for months but has accelerated recently. Sources said LIV is open to altering its format or structure as part of its evolution.
However, the loss of Saudi backing raises serious questions about the league’s ability to retain top names like DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm. LIV currently offers $30 million in prize money at each event and has spent around $5 billion since launching in 2022 — a figure projected to reach $6 billion by year-end, according to Money in Sport — making financial viability difficult without significant new investment.
Players had been aware that Saudi funding might not be available after this season. DeChambeau told the Flushing It podcast that he intends to help make LIV work while it exists, calling the enterprise a startup that will face tough moments but expressing belief in the value of franchise golf.
Earlier this week LIV postponed its June 25-28 event in Louisiana; the next scheduled event is May 7-10 in northern Virginia. CEO Scott O’Neil, who had previously guaranteed Saudi support through the 2026 season, had told staff in a memo that the season would be “uninterrupted” and “full throttle.”
Koepka, one of LIV’s earliest signings, has already returned to the PGA Tour via a pathway that included stipulations: no access to equity grants for five years, a $5 million donation to charity and no bonus money this year. The PGA Tour offered similar reinstatement pathways to other major-winning LIV players — Rahm, DeChambeau and Smith — but none accepted at the time.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp told The Wall Street Journal the American circuit is considering pathways to reinstate LIV players and said the tour is interested in having the best players who can help the game, adding, “Not every player can do that.”
As LIV seeks new investors and possible format changes, uncertainty about its finances and roster stability continues to cloud the breakaway league’s future.