The PIF's decision, confirmed in a statement, follows reports that LIV Golf has lost more than $1.1 billion and received over $5 billion in total investment. LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil sent an email to staff stating the season continues 'exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle,' but the tour has postponed its June event in New Orleans and will return $1.2 million already received. Yasir Al-Rumayyan is no longer listed as chairman, and LIV announced a new board led by Gene Davis and Jon Zinman to seek long-term financial partners. Executives held an emergency meeting in New York amid the uncertainty.
Conflicting statements have emerged about LIV's viability. Senior figures in European golf believe LIV will not continue past this year, according to multiple reports. However, Sergio Garcia said players were told by Al-Rumayyan that PIF is behind them for 'many years,' and that funding was in place until 2032 at the start of the year. O'Neil said the 2026 season is funded through the season. Broadcasters Arlo White and David Feherty dismissed collapse rumors as 'absolute nonsense,' according to Daily Mail - Sport.
Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.
Player commitments remain uncertain. Bryson DeChambeau is committed to staying with LIV and is working on a potential contract, according to BBC Sport. Jon Rahm said he is not paying attention to speculation and has a signed contract, according to Daily Mirror - Main. Thomas Pieters said he will never return to the PGA Tour, calling it 'not for me,' according to Daily Express - Sport. However, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed have left LIV to return to the PGA Tour, and several LIV players have contacted the DP World Tour about eligibility for 2027, according to Today's Golfer. Phil Mickelson's bridge to the PGA Tour is 'burned, detonated, destroyed,' according to Trey Wingo, as reported by Daily Express - Sport.
External reactions have been mixed. Rory McIlroy said PIF's withdrawal shows LIV is 'too expensive' even for them. Donald Trump said he wants LIV players to be welcomed back to the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour is preparing to loosen social media restrictions for players, a spokesperson confirmed. LIV Golf is being sued by Premier Golf League in London Commercial Court. Scottie Scheffler declined to comment on LIV's future after his round.
They're going to go and try and find alternative investment, whatever that may look like. But when one of the wealthiest sovereign wealth funds in the world thinks that you're too expensive for them, that sort of says something.
Financially, LIV Golf's broadcast rights raised only $2.7 million, and O'Neil said the tour would not be profitable for another 5-10 years. However, revenue increased by $100 million after its first five events of 2026, according to a LIV source. Technical difficulties caused a broadcast outage during the Mexico City event, which proceeded despite speculation.
Schedule changes include a six-week gap in the US from May 10 to August 6, and a switch to a 72-hole format this year. The team championship is scheduled for Michigan at the end of August. Surj Sports Investment, a PIF subsidiary, reaffirmed commitment to ATP, T100, and Dazn, according to CEO Danny Townsend. Jon Rahm said the real owners of Legion XIII are the league and PIF, not him, according to Daily Mirror - Main.
I'm not paying any attention to it at all. The other day I started getting messages about it, so I turned my phone off. Until the people in charge here tell me something concrete, I'm not going to waste my time thinking about it. I have a signed contract, and everyone here gets paid. I don't see any reason to worry. What I have to do is play golf.
That is not what Yasir told us at the beginning of the year. He told us that he is behind us, that they have a project of many years.
I'm delighted to report that reports of the imminent demise of the LIV Golf league were in fact greatly exaggerated.
I've been in the professional game for 50 years now, and I don't think I've ever had two or three days where there was more absolute nonsense that's spread out.
I'm definitely never going back to the PGA Tour. I've never liked that life. And that's not me having a go at the PGA Tour, it's not for me.
I can promise you one person that you'll never see in any way in an official capacity with the PGA Tour is Phil Mickelson. That bridge has been burned, detonated, destroyed, nuked, lasered to death. There is no building that bridge back.
I just got off the golf course. I don't know what you want from me.
The reality is that you're funded through the season, and then you work like crazy as a business to create a business and a business plan to keep us going. But that's not different from any other private equity-funded business in the history of mankind.
As long as LIV is here, I would figure out a way for it to make sense. We're still working on a potential contract. I haven't given up on that and I think there will be a solution. But as of right now, my job is to help make the league work after this year.
Well, as for being an owner... The real owners of each team are still the league and the PIF (Saudi investment fund). So they're the ones in charge, sort of.