Has LIV Already Played Its Final Tournament?

A new report from Front Office Sports—and concerning commentary from LIV CEO Scott O’Neil—is suggesting that the league’s immediate future is far from secure.

We’ve known for a few weeks that LIV appears to be on thin ice given the Saudi Public Investment Fund announcing it will no longer fund the league beyond this year. O’Neil has gone on record saying he is searching for outside investment to keep the circuit functioning into 2027.

Most agree that LIV will look nothing like it has moving forward, if it exists at all.

However, even the rest of this season is now being called into question.

Has LIV already played its last tournament?

LIV completed an event in Spain last week but it now has a six-week break during the summer due to financial complications with the previously scheduled New Orleans tournament that was supposed to happen during that span.

There are four tournaments remaining on the LIV schedule, beginning with LIV United Kingdom on July 23.

Whether that event and the three others get played is unknown.

“There is a growing sentiment among those in and around LIV that the funding from Saudi PIF could dry up even earlier than expected,” multiple sources told FOS.

“Every remaining tournament is on the fence,” said a high-ranking executive at one of LIV’s major-league level partners.

The general feeling around LIV is that the PIF could pull the plug whenever it wants. After initial indications that the PIF would support the league through the rest of its 2026 events, that now seems far less certain.

“I truly don’t think anyone knows,” the source told FOS. “LIV Golf doesn’t know if or when the PIF will shut off the spigot.”

Meanwhile, O’Neil didn’t provide much confidence when asked about whether he could guarantee LIV will play the final four tournaments.

“What I can guarantee is a heck of a return if you come invest in this business,” he said on CNBC.

While O’Neil was complimentary of the PIF and continues to say the league is “full steam ahead” in terms of securing investment, there is a total lack of certainty here.

The fact he couldn’t even guarantee that the final events would be played is hard to stomach. Given this lengthy break ahead of the UK event, it’s entirely possible the PIF uses this break in the action to remove its support from what could be a dying enterprise.

Sean’s take

Your guess is as good as mine here.

My prediction is that LIV does limp its way through the final four events and finds a way to continue on as a shell of itself heading into 2027.

I just highly doubt LIV can gain enough corporate backing to make it a relevant league.

LIV couldn’t become profitable with an infusion of $6 billion. O’Neil initially said it would take another 10 years to reach profitability and that was when the PIF was backing the league indefinitely.

Now LIV is looking for outside investments in the $250-million range and profitability within two years which signals a massive downscaling of purses and operating expenses.

Even if that investment comes, LIV will probably be a husk of itself moving forward.

And if that investment doesn’t come? LIV might not be around at all.

What do you think will happen? Let me know in the comments.