LIV Golf executives are expected to inform players this week that Saudi Arabia's funding of the circuit will end after the 2026 season, raising doubts about the tour's future. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has poured more than $5bn (£3.7bn) into LIV, communicated the shift in strategy during meetings in New York following the Masters.
The decision is partly attributed to the Middle East conflict, and sources indicate that Yasir al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor and a key backer of LIV, is no longer playing a central role. Instead, Saudi Arabia's crown prince has insisted on a change in direction, directly affecting LIV's reliance on PIF money.
LIV chief executive Scott O'Neil will hold meetings with players and staff on Thursday to outline the funding gap from 2027 onwards. O'Neil had hoped to maintain PIF support but will now seek alternative investors, though the outlook for the breakaway tour appears bleak.
Major winners including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith hold lucrative contracts with LIV worth hundreds of millions collectively. Players are expected to seek clarity on whether they can return to the PGA Tour, though such negotiations would be complicated by the PGA Tour's stronger position and the need to impose sanctions on returning players.
Next week, LIV Golf Virginia is scheduled at Trump National Golf Club near Washington DC, while a planned event in Louisiana in June has been postponed.
