What's Next for LIV Golf?

In the early days of LIV Golf, an official described the process of creating its product as building a plane while it's in the air. Four years later, LIV is trying to fix the plane in a violent tailspin.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund finally confirmed numerous reports over the last few weeks that it would stop funding LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season. If you haven’t been able to keep up with all the news surrounding the struggling league, here’s a rundown of just this week:

• On Tuesday, LIV Golf postponed an upcoming event in Louisiana in June and is hoping to reschedule a “re-envisioned event in the fall” amid its financial pitfalls.
• Sports Business Journal reported Wednesday that PIF governor and LIV co-founder Yasir Al-Rumayyan stepped down as the league’s chairman.
• LIV Golf announced Thursday it had brought in “seasoned experts” Gene Davis and Jon Zinman as part of an independent board to help the league secure “long-term financial partners to support its transition from a foundational launch phase to a diversified, multi-partner investment model.”
• The Athletic reported LIV “remains committed to a global tour and team golf model, and went over the plan with its 13 team captains during a call on Tuesday.”
• Golf Digest reported that “representatives for multiple LIV players have contacted the PGA Tour to discuss a potential return,” but the path back would be “considerably more restrictive” than the Returning Member Program Brooks Koepka took advantage of in January.

Nobody believed in LIV and its global, team format more than Al-Rumayyan, who unwaveringly championed the cause for years despite the high costs and little-to-no returns. It’s highly unlikely the league or its teams will secure the level of outside investment needed to keep this billion-dollar boondoggle afloat without the PIF’s support — LIV’s net spending averaged $100 million per month in 2024 and 2025 thanks to “regular capital injections from PIF rather than a single annual payment.” That means LIV will have to restructure across the board. CEO Scott O’Neil has overseen rebuilds as the former CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, but saving LIV will require more than simply trusting the process.

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The postponement of the Louisiana stop means LIV won’t host an event from June 7 to July 23, which isn’t ideal when trying to build fan interest and recruit investors. A “re-envisioned” fall event could foreshadow plans of fewer events in targeted, golf-starved locations where the league turned a profit, like Australia and South Africa. But will they be able to re-sign Bryson DeChambeau and keep Jon Rahm happy? Both are daunting tasks on their own.

A lot is still up in the air but one thing became crystal clear this week: IF some version of LIV survives past 2026, it won’t look anything like the league we’ve come to know.