LIV Golf On The Ropes As Saudis Consider Yanking Funds

It seems LIV Golf may be living on a prayer after reports claim Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is considering pulling funding from the tour that lured the biggest names away from the PGA just over four years ago.

The Financial Times reported Wednesday that the PIF is “on the verge” of slashing financial support for the league, while other outlets suggested LIV could be facing “imminent closure.”

The fund has poured millions in LIV Golf to rival the PGA Tour, but The Wall Street Journal reported that financial support could end after the league struggled to attract a significant television audience in the United States.

Amid the dire reports, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil told players and personnel Wednesday that the league is fully funded through the rest of the year and that reports of its imminent shutdown are “false,” according to Golf Channel. O’Neil did not address funding beyond the 2026 season.

“Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle,” O’Neil said.

The news comes as 50 players are teeing off for a LIV tournament outside Mexico City.

The potential timeline for any shutdown remains unclear, with The Journal reporting that Saudi officials are still weighing their decision. The outlet noted there is still a chance LIV could continue in some form depending on the outcome of those discussions.

The league’s undoing would be welcomed by some golf fans who have argued the rival tour has tarnished the game’s traditional reputation.

Since LIV’s launch, the league has faced government investigations, lawsuits, and other litigation, contributing to a lack of profitability on the world stage.

LIV lost nearly $600 million in 2024, according to The Journal, despite signing big names, including Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and Phil Mickelson.

In 2o22, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan addressed the mass exodus of players from his league.

“The PGA Tour, an American institution, can’t compete with a foreign monarchy that is spending billions of dollars in an attempt to buy the game of golf,” Monahan said. “We welcome good, healthy competition. The LIV Saudi Golf League is not that. It’s an irrational threat.”

The tone shifted a year later when Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s PIF, appeared together to announce a framework agreement aimed at ending litigation and potentially reunifying the sport.

That effort ultimately stalled, leaving both tours operating independently, with the PGA now appearing to stand the test of time.