LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is expected to resign in an announcement scheduled for Thursday that will also formally confirm the end of future Saudi funding for the breakaway league, Sky Sports News understands.
The move would mark LIV’s first formal acknowledgement that backing from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) — which Al-Rumayyan has overseen since 2015 — will not continue beyond 2026 as the organisation transitions to new leadership and financing.
Sources familiar with LIV’s operations say the company plans to publish a new strategic plan to attract long-term investors and is actively engaging prospective backers. Those sources added that LIV updated its 13 team captains, including major champions Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, in a call on Tuesday evening about its future direction.
Sky Sports News also understands several players are exploring options outside LIV, continuing a trend of high-profile departures that previously included Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed. Despite roster movement, company insiders told Sky Sports the organisation remains committed to a global tour and the team-golf model, pointing to recent strong fan turnout — more than 200,000 attendees across events in Australia and South Africa this year.
The shift away from PIF funding has reportedly been part of LIV’s long-term planning for months but has accelerated recently. Sources say the league is open to altering its format or structure as part of an evolution to appeal to new investors.
The loss of Saudi backing raises serious questions about LIV’s ability to retain top players such as DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm. LIV currently offers roughly $30 million in prize money at each event and has spent about $5 billion since launching in 2022, a figure Money in Sport projects will reach $6 billion by year-end — making financial viability challenging without significant new investment.
Players had been warned funding might not continue after this season. DeChambeau told the Flushing It podcast he intends to support LIV while it exists, describing the circuit as a startup that will face tough moments but expressing belief in the franchise model.
Earlier this week LIV postponed its June 25-28 event in Louisiana; the next scheduled event was listed as May 7-10 in northern Virginia. CEO Scott O’Neil, who had previously told staff he expected Saudi support through 2026, had also said the season would be “uninterrupted” and “full throttle.”
Koepka, one of LIV’s earliest signings, has returned to the PGA Tour through a reinstatement pathway that included conditions: 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 routes 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 circuit is considering pathways to reinstate LIV players and 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 over its finances and roster stability continues to cloud the breakaway league’s future.