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LIV Golf, the pro golf league backed by Saudi Arabia that was meant to rival the PGA Tour, is in limbo because the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund pulled financial backing after the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
LIV was billed as the cool, modern, team-based, 54-hole golf league with a lot of cash from Saudi Arabia. At the time of its creation in 2021, it seemed too good to be true. Five years later, it\u2019s on life support as tournaments have been postponed \u2014 and a scale-back effort is in place as the CEO tries to keep the business going for another year by looking for new investors.<\/p>\n
LIV Golf CEO Scott O\u2019Neil spoke publicly Tuesday at Trump National D.C. for the first time since the news broke that funding was going away. O\u2019Neil kept his tone positive, saying he feels ready for the moment and is prepared to tackle the financial uncertainty behind his league.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis moment for me \u2026 I understand uncertainty is difficult for some people, and I understand that not knowing what tomorrow brings can be a challenge,\u201d O\u2019Neil said. \u201cThis is 100 percent what I love to do, this moment. Everybody is meant for a certain thing in their life. I believe this is what I am meant for. I love this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The moment is intense, suddenly navigating without what seemed like an endless cash flow. O\u2019Neil will have to restructure the business model for LIV, and that\u2019s how the businessman is framing this next chapter \u2014 as a refresh, not a threat.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst and foremost, we need to get the players settled, on board, and focusing on golf,\u201d O\u2019Neil said. \u201cSecondly, we have to create a plan that\u2019s a business plan, a business that works from a business standpoint, from a profit and loss standpoint, like every other business in the world, and we are well on our way to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The league started with a lot of buzz after promising big checks and signing big names \u2014 including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka, among other PGA stars.<\/p>\n
But viewership didn\u2019t match the energy. Per Awful Announcing, for the 17 telecasts on Fox last year, LIV Golf averaged just 338,000 viewers, compared to its PGA Tour competition that averaged 2.66 million.<\/p>\n
Koepka is back with the PGA Tour, but DeChambeau remains with LIV through his contract that ends after the 2026 season. The golf and online personality said on Tuesday that he would focus on YouTube if LIV failed. The golf star was once involved in a lawsuit with the PGA and hinted that golf\u2019s premier league might not welcome him back with open arms.<\/p>\n
Other LIV stars, including Jon Rahm, don\u2019t have expiring contracts. Rahm said the LIV CEO has a \u201clot of hard work to do\u201d to find funding for the league\u2019s future, per Golf.com.<\/p>\n
The current season isn\u2019t in complete shambles, although a tournament set for June in New Orleans has been postponed. The tour continues in the nation\u2019s capital this weekend before heading internationally to Korea at the end of May.<\/p>\n
The first round of LIV Golf Virginia tees off Thursday at Trump National Golf Club.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n