With much fanfare, LIV Golf’s CEO Scott O’Neil claims to have found a major sponsor who will ensure that the breakaway tour will survive despite the Saudis withdrawing at the end of 2026.
O’Neil said the league has secured a "lead investor" and has interest from "dozens" of other potential financial backers. Hmmm. I am not sure that I ambling into the "dozens" of potential investors line.
O’Neil revealed: "LIV Golf has an agreement in place with a lead investor, signed by the investor and approved by the board, to anchor the transaction and play a key role in supporting the path forward for the league’s next era, driven by and for the players. We’re also seeing strong interest from more than a dozen additional parties to potentially serve as minority investors, creating a multi-partner model built for long-term stability and growth."
There is a huge difference from expressing an interest and signing on the bottom line.
O’Neil also says that a deal has been formulated that will make LIV Golf's players equity holders in the league itself. "Notably, our next chapter will make our players the majority equity holders in LIV Golf, a first for a major global sports league, and gives the League the foundation to keep growing the game worldwide," he said. "We anticipate finalising terms in the coming weeks, with the goal of entering a transaction in September. In the meantime, our focus is on delivering a great week for fans and players at Bedminster and finishing the 2026 season strong."
The announcement came nearly three months to the day after the Saudi Public Investment Fund decided to end its financial support of LIV Golf, leaving executives scrambling to find new sponsors.
(Image Credit: LIV Golf)
Tellingly, the new LIV schedule will feature just 10 events, instead of 14, with five taking place in the U.S. and five around the globe. I know that many of the golfers who joined LIV said they were attracted to it not only because of the vast sums they were offered to sign on the dotted line but also due to the fact that it meant a vastly reduced schedule and less worldwide travel. But 10 tournaments? That, surely, is not what they signed up for.
LIV’s team finale is scheduled for the end of August but it has been widely reported that it will not go ahead. However, it is still listed on LIV’s website, which continues to sell and market tickets for the event. So your guess is as good as mine.
I also have to ask how many of their number will actually desire to become equity holders? My gut feeling is that we will still see a significant number of them jumping ship at the end of the year and looking for a route back to either the DP World or PGA Tour.
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