LIV Golf leader says the show will go on amid reports of Saudi funding uncertainty

LIV Golf’s chief executive Scott O’Neil moved Wednesday to reassure staff and players that the league’s 2026 season will proceed “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle” after reports suggested the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) might be scaling back financial support. The memo, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press, came amid renewed scrutiny of the Qatari‑backed tour’s long‑term funding and a PIF announcement of a new five‑year investment strategy for 2026‑30.

“I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle,” O’Neil wrote. “We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organization that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before.”

That assurance arrived after reporting that has placed LIV’s finances in the spotlight. The newsletter Money in Sport reported in February that LIV had already spent $5.3 billion and was projected to surpass $6 billion by the end of the year. LIV launched in June 2022 with roughly $1 billion paid in signing bonuses to a group of high‑profile defections from the PGA Tour, including Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Prize money for individuals and the league’s 13 teams was raised to $30 million this year.

The PIF, which bankrolls LIV Golf and is chaired by governor Yasir Al‑Rumayyan, released a statement framing its new 2026‑30 approach as a shift toward “sustained value creation.” In that release the sovereign wealth fund said: “The 2026‑30 strategy marks a natural evolution as PIF moves from a period of rapid growth and acceleration to a new phase of sustained value creation, with a strengthened focus on maximizing impact, raising the efficiency of investments, and applying the highest standards of governance, transparency and institutional excellence.”

Al‑Rumayyan, who has been publicly linked to LIV since its inception, told the Financial Times that regional tensions had added pressure: “Of course the war would add more pressure to reposition some priorities,” he said, referring to the U.S.‑Israel war against Iran.

At LIV Golf’s Mexico stop at Chapultepec Golf Club players were left to field questions as speculation about funding swirled. One player, speaking on condition of anonymity because a meeting was private, said Al‑Rumayyan told players in Hong Kong in early March that funding was secured through 2032. O’Neil arrived in Mexico City on Wednesday and was expected to meet with players; LIV promoted the event on social media with the line, “Slow news day? We are ON.”

• LIV has staged five events so far in 2026: Saudi Arabia, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa.
• Notable results include Anthony Kim’s comeback victory in Australia and Bryson DeChambeau winning the last two events in playoffs; DeChambeau missed the cut at the Masters last week.
• LIV’s first U.S. tournament this year is scheduled for May 7‑10 at Trump National in northern Virginia.
• The league is in the second year of a Fox Sports television deal, with coverage on platforms such as FS1 and a three‑hour opening round window on the Fox Sports app.

O’Neil framed the moment as one of the inevitable pressures of a disruptive startup: “The life of a startup movement is often defined by these moments of pressure,” he wrote. He closed his memo to staff by urging persistence: “We are pioneers, and while the road isn’t always smooth, the destination is worth every mile. Let’s go out and show the world why LIV Golf is the future of the game.”