Golf Apr 20, 2026

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil says competition is "funded through the season" amid reports breakaway league could fold

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil says competition is "funded through the season" amid reports breakaway league could fold

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil said the series is "funded through the season" and would "work like crazy" to keep it going amid speculation its Saudi backers could withdraw their financial support.

The breakaway golf league, which is funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), sent shockwaves through the golfing world following its inception in 2021, where it was positioned as a rival to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

Speculation has mounted this week that the , which is reported to be approaching $5bn (£3.7bn) since the series was launched.

On Friday, LIV chief executive O'Neil was asked by TNT Sports about comments from Sergio Garcia - a LIV team captain - alluding to funding being in place through to 2030.

"As you know, there are always a lot of rumours," Garcia said, speaking on the swirling speculation around the league.

"I can't tell you anything more than we already know."

O'Neil played down fears, saying: "It's just not the way the world works. We have commitments to have this being a going concern.

"The reality is, 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."

Earlier in the week, O'Neil wrote to LIV staff that the season "continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle", making no reference to anything beyond this season.

The PIF has not commented on the matter.

O'Neil's comments came after reports from The Daily Telegraph claimed LIV Golf executives had been summoned to an "emergency meeting" in New York. The Financial Times also reported the PIF was on the cusp of ending funding to the league. No official decision has been made.

The reports emerged after the PIF had announced its four-year strategy, with governor Yasir Al Rumayyan telling Al Arabiya some deals and investments were being "reviewed, whether due to war (in the Middle East) or for reasons related to economic feasibility".

He added that the Middle East conflict, sparked by American and Israeli air strikes on Iran, "places greater pressure on the need to reposition certain priorities".

Your Site understands some LIV Golf players were confused by the reports and were keen to gain reassurances from LIV chiefs. Team captains were not informed of any imminent announcement.

Ryder Cup star Jon Rahm said he was "not too worried" about LIV's future.

Spaniard Rahm, who is reported to have earned £64m since joining the series in 2023, was interviewed after the first round of the ongoing LIV event in Mexico City.

"Until the people in charge told me if the rumours were valid or not, it didn't make sense for me to think about it or to waste time thinking about it," he said.

"We were here; we knew we were going to play, so the idea was to prepare for a tournament. And that's it.

"Since everything happened so suddenly and so quickly, I wasn't very worried about it because normally, before the rumours start, we already know something.

"There's always someone within the league who knows something; it happened so fast that I really didn't worry about it."

While a broadcasting hiccup delayed television streams on Thursday, it has been business as usual for LIV Golf during this week's event at the Club de Golf Chapultepec.

Can Rory McIlroy enjoy more major success in 2026? Watch the PGA Championship (May 14-17), US Open (June 18-21) and The Open (July 16-19) all exclusively live on Your Site. or .

Tags:

golf news

Share this article

Related Posts

Ford Championship: Nelly Korda outduelled by Hyo Joo Kim again as South Korean wins on LPGA Tour for second straight week

Ford Championship: Nelly Korda outduelled by Hyo Joo Kim again as South Korean wins on LPGA Tour for second straight week

Hyo Joo Kim repelled a challenge from Nelly Korda for the second straight week, pulling away around the turn and closing with a three-under 69 for a t...

LPGA Tour: Nelly Korda comeback in vain as Hyo-Joo Kim holds on to win Fortinet Founders Cup in California

LPGA Tour: Nelly Korda comeback in vain as Hyo-Joo Kim holds on to win Fortinet Founders Cup in California

Hyo-Joo Kim held off the challenge of world No 2 Nelly Korda to clinch her eighth LPGA Tour title with a one-shot victory at the Fortinet Founders Cup...

Tiger Woods thrashed in TGL golf comeback as Los Angeles Golf Club beat Jupiter Links to win season-long SoFi Cup title

Tiger Woods thrashed in TGL golf comeback as Los Angeles Golf Club beat Jupiter Links to win season-long SoFi Cup title

Tiger Woods’ TGL comeback ended in defeat as Los Angeles Golf Club thrashed Jupiter Links GC 9-2 to wrap-up the season-long SoFi Cup title with a matc...

TGL golf 2026 schedule: Fixtures, results, team line-ups and format as Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and PGA Tour stars feature

TGL golf 2026 schedule: Fixtures, results, team line-ups and format as Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and PGA Tour stars feature

A look at the fixtures and full schedule for the 2026 TGL season, featuring both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, with every match exclusively live on Yo...

PGA Tour: Gary Woodland claims emotional Texas Children's Houston Open win to earn first title since brain surgery

PGA Tour: Gary Woodland claims emotional Texas Children's Houston Open win to earn first title since brain surgery

Gary Woodland ended his seven-year wait for a fifth PGA Tour title with an emotional victory at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, his first win since...

DP World Tour: Alex Fitzpatrick wins first title at Hero Indian Open - a week after brother Matt's PGA Tour triumph

DP World Tour: Alex Fitzpatrick wins first title at Hero Indian Open - a week after brother Matt's PGA Tour triumph

Alex Fitzpatrick clinched his first DP World Tour title with a two-shot victory at the Hero Indian Open - a week after older brother Matt triumphed at...