\n<\/p>\n
It seems LIV Golf may be living on a prayer after reports claim Saudi Arabia\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
The Financial Times reported Wednesday that the PIF is \u201con the verge\u201d of slashing financial support for the league, while other outlets suggested LIV could be facing \u201cimminent closure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fund has poured millions in LIV Golf to rival the PGA Tour, but The Wall Street Journal<\/a> reported that financial support could end after the league struggled to attract a significant television audience in the United States.<\/p>\n Amid the dire reports, LIV Golf CEO Scott O\u2019Neil 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 \u201cfalse,\u201d according to Golf Channel.<\/a> O\u2019Neil did not address funding beyond the 2026 season.<\/p>\n \u201cOur season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle,\u201d O\u2019Neil said.<\/p>\n The news comes as 50 players are teeing off for a LIV tournament outside Mexico City.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The league\u2019s undoing would be welcomed by some golf fans who have argued the rival tour has tarnished the game\u2019s traditional reputation.<\/p>\n Since LIV\u2019s launch, the league has faced government investigations, lawsuits, and other litigation, contributing to a lack of profitability on the world stage.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In 2o22, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan addressed the mass exodus of players from his league.<\/p>\n \u201cThe PGA Tour, an American institution, can\u2019t compete with a foreign monarchy that is spending billions of dollars in an attempt to buy the game of golf,\u201d Monahan said. \u201cWe welcome good, healthy competition. The LIV Saudi Golf League is not that. It\u2019s an irrational threat.\u201d<\/p>\n The tone shifted a year later when Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia\u2019s PIF, appeared together to announce a framework agreement aimed at ending litigation and potentially reunifying the sport.<\/p>\n That effort ultimately stalled, leaving both tours operating independently, with the PGA now appearing to stand the test of time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n