The continuity of LIV Golf is only guaranteed until the end of the 2026 season. The Fondo Soberano de Inversión Pública Saudí (PIF) will cut funding when that year ends. That was stated by journalist Brett Baier on a prime-time programme on FOX, the network that holds the broadcast rights to the Saudi league in the United States. The money tap will be turned off when 2026 ends.
As it stands, the only doubt that remained to be resolved on Wednesday evening is now cleared. LIV Golf will continue through to the end with the tournament schedule planned for 2026, but beyond that its future is uncertain and very bleak. Can one say LIV Golf is doomed? It seems so unless it finds by the end of the year funding other than PIF that would allow it to secure its survival, something that is really complicated.
Scott O’Neill, CEO of LIV Golf, finally appeared in Mexico on Wednesday afternoon and informed the players and league staff that the season will continue as normal. He assured continuity until the end of 2026, but did not go further. On Wednesday afternoon there was a meeting with all LIV Golf executives in New York to decide whether the league would stop immediately after the Mexico tournament, or continue until the end of 2026, as reported by various American media outlets.
Here is an excerpt from O’Neill’s email:
“Let me be absolutely clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, without interruption and at full speed. Although the media landscape is often full of speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass. We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with all the energy of an organisation that is bigger, louder and more influential than ever. The life of a pioneering movement is often defined by these moments of pressure. We signed up for this because we believe in disrupting the status quo. We have faced headwinds from the start and each time we have responded with resilience and grace. Now, we respond by doing what we do best: putting on the most compelling show in sport”.
The message is textbook from a chief executive of a company that could perfectly have its days numbered. You have to motivate everyone to reach the end of the road in the best possible way, but without going further and not committing to the future. In short, although there is no official statement from LIV Golf or the PIF announcing closure of operations when 2026 ends, all signs point to that. It is taken for granted.
The television network FOX confirmed the news that had been circulating since late yesterday afternoon among the leading headlines of the Anglo-Saxon media world: the PIF has decided to change its investment policy, citing, among other things, the armed conflict in Iran, and LIV has fallen off its priorities.
The big question now is the following: can LIV Golf exist without PIF funding? As of today the obvious answer is that it seems impossible. That is what its leaders will try to find from this moment on, but the future looks very bleak. Recall that Bryson DeChambeau’s contract ends in 2026 and he has not yet renewed. It does not seem the ideal climate to secure his continuation. Without DeChambeau, Jon Rahm would remain the only relevant figure in the Saudi league and it also does not seem likely that the Spaniard would be willing to continue once his contract ends in this situation.
As things stand, everything seems set for the disappearance of LIV Golf when 2026 ends, although we will continue to see chapters of this story in the coming months.
