LIV Golf has secured a major new financial backer that will guarantee the future of the breakaway circuit through to 2030, ending months of uncertainty over the league’s survival following the withdrawal of funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
The announcement was made by LIV Golf chief executive Scott O’Neil ahead of this week’s LIV Golf New York event, where he confirmed that the league’s board had approved a term sheet with a lead investor capable of underwriting the next phase of the competition. While the identity of the investor and the financial terms remain confidential, the agreement is expected to be completed in September.
“We’re very fortunate that a lead investor has signed a term sheet approved by our board, which will carry and fund LIV going forward,” said O’Neil. “It’s very good news for us. At this point we are keeping the details of the deal, the investor, and much of what you might want to know in this second phase out of the media.”
The agreement represents a dramatic turnaround for LIV Golf, whose future appeared to be in serious doubt after PIF announced in April that it would cease funding the league at the end of the 2026 season. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund had invested an estimated $5 billion in the venture since its launch in 2022, helping attract many of the world’s biggest golfers with record-breaking guaranteed contracts and prize funds.
O’Neil confirmed that the new investment will support a restructured version of LIV Golf from 2027 onwards, with plans centred around a streamlined 10-event global schedule featuring five team majors and five signature tournaments. The revised business model is designed to reduce operating costs while moving the league towards profitability within three years. Players will also be offered the opportunity to become majority equity holders in the business, replacing the huge guaranteed signing bonuses that defined LIV’s early years.
Despite securing its financial future, LIV Golf still faces a significant challenge in retaining many of its biggest stars. Several high-profile players have yet to commit to the league’s next chapter, with uncertainty continuing to surround the futures of leading names including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith. O’Neil admitted he would like the sport’s biggest personalities to remain part of LIV but stopped short of confirming any player agreements.
“I have all the time in the world for Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau,” he said. “They’re some of the biggest stars in sports, let alone golf. I would certainly love them to come along for the ride and journey because they carry maybe more weight than anybody in the game.”
With player contracts due to expire and speculation mounting over potential returns to the PGA Tour or other competitive opportunities, the coming weeks are expected to determine the shape of LIV Golf’s 2027 team sheet. O’Neil indicated that definitive details regarding player participation should become clear by the end of August as negotiations continue.
Nevertheless, the LIV chief insisted the league remains confident it can attract sufficient elite talent.
“I think we have enough support from enough players, and we have such an interesting format and global format, I think we’ll do quite well in getting the right stars for this game,” he said.
O’Neil also revealed that more than a dozen additional parties have expressed interest in becoming minority investors, although he stressed that further funding is no longer essential following the agreement with the lead backer.
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