GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA | The uncertain future of LIV Golf appears to be more certain with the announcement Wednesday that the golf league has landed a new investor that will allow it to continue beyond this year.
LIV CEO Scott O’Neil made the announcement in advance of the league’s tournament in Bedminster, New Jersey, and while O’Neil was short on specifics, he was resolute that the financially challenged organization had found a path forward.
“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. It’s very good news for us,” O’Neil said.
O’Neil did not offer specifics regarding the deal, declining to name the investor or the amount of the capital infusion, but said the timeline is such that it will ensure the league’s continuation into 2027 and beyond.
LIV Golf’s future has been uncertain since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced earlier this year that it would discontinue its support after reportedly investing more than $5 billion.
The decision forced O’Neil to seek out new investors in an effort to keep the league alive while retaining its top players, including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. The league has reportedly been looking for an investment of at least $250 million to continue.
O’Neil said LIV Golf will continue discussions with other potential sponsors.
The CEO also declined to get into specifics about the status of LIV’s leading players but pointed to a 30-minute players-only meeting led by DeChambeau on Tuesday that preceded the Wednesday announcement.
“From what I’ve heard and understand, it was a really robust conversation with a lot of players. At least from my perspective, [it] couldn’t have a more positive impact,” O’Neil said.
As part of an anticipated restructuring, the players will become majority equity holders in LIV Golf. The plan is to play 10 events in 2027, five in the United States and five more at international sites, four fewer than on the 2026 schedule. It is believed that LIV will reduce the purse sizes going forward.
“So the more I think players can talk and communicate and collaborate and get together, the better. This has historically been a chronically individual sport, and I think this notion of pulling players together in teams may foster a different type of collaboration than has been seen in golf before, but [I’m] very supportive of what happened and where we’re heading.”
As a part of an anticipated restructuring, the players will become majority equity holders in LIV Golf. The plan is to play 10 events in 2027, five in the United States and five more at international sites – four fewer than on the 2026 schedule. It is believed that LIV will reduce the purse sizes going forward.
Asked if the team championship, scheduled to be played in Michigan later this month, will be played after questions of its viability were raised, O’Neil did not offer a definitive answer.
“We have not made any final formal decisions,” O’Neil said.
O’Neil also declined to say whether LIV Golf will file for bankruptcy as it begins its massive restructuring.
“When you’re in a situation that is a bit fluid, where there’s a bit of uncertainty, where there’s some challenges and maybe some surprises here or there around the corner, we want to make sure that we are giving ourselves the best opportunity to do what’s best for this organization to carry forward,” O’Neil said.