LIV funding in doubt
Multiple outlets report Saudi‑backed funding for LIV Golf is under threat, with sources saying leadership were told post‑Masters they could lose their jobs even as the tour publicly reassured staff it will continue. (The Athletic and Yahoo Sports describe internal unrest and possible PIF withdrawal, while BBC Sport quotes LIV CEO Scott O’Neil saying the 2026 season will proceed “as planned.”) (nytimes.com) (sports.yahoo.com) (bbc.com)
LIV Golf spent Wednesday fighting reports that its Saudi funding could be cut, even as its chief executive told staff the 2026 season will continue. (apnews.com) The Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was close to ending support for the league and could make a decision as soon as Thursday, April 16. Other outlets, including The Athletic and The Telegraph, said LIV executives were summoned to New York after the Masters and warned their jobs could be at risk. (sports.yahoo.com) (telegraph.co.uk) Scott O’Neil, who took over as chief executive after Greg Norman, sent staff a memo on Wednesday saying the season would continue “as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” The Associated Press said it received a copy of the memo, and ESPN reported the note did not address whether LIV would continue beyond 2026. (apnews.com) (espn.com) LIV was launched in 2022 with backing from the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, and has spent more than $5 billion since its start, according to ESPN. The league’s next event is in Mexico City, the sixth of 14 tournaments on its 2026 schedule. (espn.com) (cbssports.com) The new uncertainty lands after four years in which LIV changed men’s golf by luring major champions with guaranteed contracts and forcing the PGA Tour into talks with the same Saudi fund that financed the rival circuit. Those negotiations produced a June 2023 framework agreement, but a final deal has still not been completed. (apnews.com) (nbcsports.com) The reports also surfaced the same day the Public Investment Fund outlined a 2026-2030 strategy focused on “increasing investment efficiency” and a new phase of “sustainable value,” language The Telegraph tied to possible cuts at LIV. Yahoo Sports, citing Fox News anchor Bret Baier, reported the league is funded through the end of this season but not beyond it. (telegraph.co.uk) (sports.yahoo.com) Players were left with mixed messages in Mexico City. Sergio Garcia said Wednesday that he had not heard anything about a shutdown, while Yahoo Sports reported later that some players had raised concerns over delayed first-quarter payments. (abc.net.au) (sports.yahoo.com) For now, the public line and the private reporting are moving in opposite directions: LIV says 2026 is intact, while multiple outlets say the Saudi money behind the league may not last much longer. The next hard signal is whether the Public Investment Fund says anything beyond this season. (bbc.com) (sports.yahoo.com)
