LIV Golf's 2026 season to continue 'as planned,' but future uncertain
James H. WilliamsLIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil has responded to reports regarding Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund potentially ceasing involvement with the league.
O’Neil stated, in an email to the league’s staff on Wednesday, April 15 that was obtained by ESPN, that the 2026 LIV Golf season will continue “as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle."
Bret Baier of Fox News also reported that events will be funded for the rest of the 2026 season, but added that funding “will definitely come to an end at the end of this LIV season, citing a change of priorities.”
O’Neil's email did not mention anything about the state of LIV Golf beyond the current season.
The Public Investment Fund has reportedly spent more than $5 billion since the league started in 2022.
"I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle," O'Neil wrote in the email to staff. "While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass. We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organization that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before."
The creation of LIV Golf led to several prominent golfers leaving the PGA Tour. LIV differs from the PGA in that it features 48-player fields in 54-hole, no-cut tournaments. It also features a team element and is not heavily funded by sponsors or media rights.
"The life of a startup movement is often defined by these moments of pressure," O'Neil said. "We signed up for this because we believe in disrupting the status quo. We have faced headwinds since the jump, and we've answered every time with resilience and grace. Now, we answer by doing what we do best: putting on the most compelling show in sports."
LIV Golf has already played five tournaments in its current season, with the sixth one scheduled to begin on April 16 near Mexico City. The league will hold its first U.S.-based tournament May 7-10 in Sterling, Virginia.
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