LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil has moved to reassure staff that the league’s 2026 season will proceed as planned. His email, obtained by ESPN, stated the season would continue “as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.”
O’Neil’s message follows reports that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) may be on the verge of withdrawing its funding for the breakaway circuit.
CEO Downplays Funding Speculation
O’Neil’s email did not directly address the reports that PIF might stop investing in LIV Golf after spending more than $5 billion since 2022. Nor did it confirm whether the league will continue competitions beyond this season.
“I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle,” O’Neil wrote. He added that the organisation is heading into the heart of its 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organisation that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before.
O’Neil acknowledged the pressures faced by the startup movement. “We signed up for this because we believe in disrupting the status quo,” he stated. “We have faced headwinds since the jump, and we’ve answered every time with resilience and grace. Now, we answer by doing what we do best: putting on the most compelling show in sports.”
LIV’s Schedule and Challenges
LIV Golf is scheduled to play its sixth tournament of the season starting Thursday at Club de Golf Chapultepec near Mexico City. Its first tournament in the U.S. is scheduled for May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.
The Financial Times reported that PIF was on the verge of pulling its funding for LIV Golf. A source familiar with the situation told ESPN the league’s executives were on the ground in Mexico City on Wednesday.
LIV’s Aims and Struggles
LIV Golf had promised to be a more entertaining version of professional golf with shotgun starts and 54-hole events. The format includes team and individual competitions being played simultaneously.
- Shotgun starts
- 54-hole events
- Team and individual competitions
While LIV Golf has drawn large crowds to its tournaments in Australia, South Africa and other international sites, it has struggled to gain footing in the U.S.
It has had low TV ratings and limited commercial revenue from its broadcast deals with The CW and Fox Sports. The league has also struggled to land contracts to stage its events at top-rated courses in the U.S., which frustrated many of its star players.
The players felt they were not properly preparing to contend in the major championships.
Financial Investment and Player Recruitment
PIF invested more than $5 billion in LIV Golf since 2022, reportedly spending $100 million per month during the past three-plus years. Much of that money was spent on golfers’ contracts and tournament purses, which increased from $25 million to $30 million this season. The extra $5 million went toward team purses.
With guaranteed contracts purportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars, LIV Golf was able to lure former major champions such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
LIV Golf was led by former CEO Greg Norman, with the help of six-time major champion Phil Mickelson.
O’Neil wrote: “While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass.”