LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil moved to calm the chatter surrounding the league's financial outlook by issuing a memo to staff that the 2026 campaign will forge ahead exactly as scheduled, operating "at full throttle." The internal letter, a copy of which was provided to the Associated Press on Wednesday evening, arrived after a day packed with speculation that Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund might be pulling back its support for the fledgling tour. The Daily Telegraph reported that LIV Golf executives were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York, and the Financial Times later suggested that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) – the Saudi entity backing the league – was on the brink of curtailing its contributions, though no definitive decision had been taken. Money in Sport, a sports‑finance newsletter, noted in February that LIV Golf had already expended $5.3 billion (approximately £3.9 billion) and was on track to exceed $6 billion (£4.42 billion) by year‑end.
Sky Sports said players were understandably anxious and were seeking reassurance, but none of the team captains had been told of any imminent change. In his memo O'Neil wrote, "I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle." He added that while media outlets love to spin speculation, the league's reality is defined by the work performed on the course. "We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organisation that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before." The memo left unanswered the question of how long the PIF's financing will last. LIV Golf launched in June 2022, initially offering roughly $1 billion (£737 million) in signing bonuses to a handful of the PGA Tour's biggest stars, including Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm.
This year the prize pool for both individual competitors and the 13‑team format was lifted to $30 million (£22.1 million). Since then, Koepka has departed the league and been permitted to re‑join the PGA Tour under certain conditions, while Patrick Reed also left LIV and is currently competing on the DP World Tour, positioning himself to return to the PGA Tour in 2027 via the DP World Tour points race. Questions about the longevity of the funding resurfaced when the PIF unveiled a new five‑year investment strategy.
The fund described the 2026‑2030 plan as a "natural evolution" from a phase of rapid expansion to one focused on sustained value creation, greater efficiency, and heightened governance, transparency and institutional excellence. This strategy was drafted before the recent US‑Israel conflict over Iran. Yasir Al‑Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF and a noted golf enthusiast who championed LIV Golf, told the Financial Times that the war would inevitably add pressure to reassess priorities. LIV players gathered at Chapultepec Golf Club for the Mexico event, which kicks off on Thursday, were left without concrete answers as rumors swirled throughout Wednesday.
"Honestly, we aren't going to listen to anything except what Yasir told us at the start of the year—that he is behind us and that they have a project for many years," said Sergio Garcia, captain of the Fireballs GC, speaking in Spanish. "There are always a lot of rumours.
I can't tell you anything more than we already know." One anonymous player claimed Al‑Rumayyan met with the roster in early March in Hong Kong and confirmed that funding would be secured through 2032. The same source said O'Neil arrived in Mexico City on Wednesday and planned to meet with the competitors.
LIV Golf promoted the Mexico tournament on social media with the tagline, "Slow news day? We are ON." To date, LIV has staged five events this season in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa. The tour celebrated a poignant victory in Australia when Anthony Kim, returning after a 12‑year hiatus marked by battles with drug and alcohol addiction, captured the title.
Bryson DeChambeau, a two‑time U.S. Open champion, won the previous two tournaments in playoff fashion and now aims to become the first LIV player to claim three consecutive victories. DeChambeau missed the cut at the Masters last week, underscoring the competitive pressure the league faces as it seeks a foothold in the United States, with its inaugural U.S. event slated for May 7‑10 at Trump National in Virginia.
O'Neil reflected on the challenges of building a startup movement, noting, "We signed up for this because we believe in disrupting the status quo. 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." He concluded his note with a rallying call: "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." Legal battles continue to shadow the league.
The Premier Golf League, a separate breakaway concept that predated LIV Golf, filed a lawsuit on April 16 in the London Commercial Court against the PIF, Golf Saudi, several LIV entities and two individuals, alleging various grievances. Premier Golf, originally conceived in 2019 as a middle ground between LIV and the PGA Tour, had previously pursued a partnership with Saudi investors before the PIF opted to fund what became LIV Golf in 2020. Commentators such as Sky Sports' Paul McGinley have described the situation as a "fast‑developing story" with many unconfirmed details, while also noting that professional golfers now possess unprecedented leverage in contract negotiations. McGinley highlighted the massive prize funds on offer in LIV events—often exceeding four million dollars for the winner—as a factor reshaping the economics of the sport.
Overall, LIV Golf remains a polarising force within professional golf. Its ambitious expansion, backed by billions of dollars from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, has attracted top talent, prompted legal disputes, and sparked debate over the sustainability of its financial model.
As the 2026 season approaches, the league's leadership insists that the tour will press on with full intensity, regardless of external speculation.