That sound golf fans keep hearing is the drip … drip … drip … of LIV Golf slowly going down the drain.
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil did not send a clear message Tuesday when asked about the golf league’s final four tournaments of 2026. Refusing to guarantee that LIV Golf will finish out the year, he told CNBC that the league has to trust that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will continue to bankroll the league through the remainder of the season.
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Front Office Sports reported last week that LIV Golf’s funding might dry up before that, quoting a high-ranking executive from one of the league’s partners, who said “every remaining tournament is on the fence.”
O’Neil continues to praise the PIF, which announced in April that it was pulling its funding after this season. LIV co-founder Yasir Al-Rumayyan stepped down as chairman on April 29, and the tour announced a day later that it restructured its board and would seek long-term investors.
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“I can say they’ve been terrific partners so far,” O’Neil said. “And you have to take an incredible organization like PIF at their word. They’ve been very public about funding us through the season, so we are full steam ahead. The players are locked in. The management team is locked in.”
Bryson DeChambeau, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri and Travis Smyth of Crushers GC celebrate after winning the team title at the 2026 LIV Golf Korea.
O’Neil told CNBC that he’s had five formal meetings to discuss interest in funding the organization, with 18 more planned this week. He said the response has “been positive” and that he hopes to end the fundraising process this summer.
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LIV Golf is scheduled to return on July 23-26 at JCB Golf & Country Club in Rocester, England, followed by three tournaments in the United States: at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey (Aug. 6-9); The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Indiana (Aug. 20-23); and the season-ending team championship at The Cardinal at Saint John’s in Plymouth, Michigan (Aug. 27-30).
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: LIV Golf CEO hopes Saudi Arabia’s PIF funds league through 2026
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