LIV secures new lead investor, says CEO Scott O’Neil
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Breakaway circuit LIV Golf lured many leading players away from the PGA Tour before being dropped by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
PHOTO: ACTION IMAGES
- LIV Golf has secured a new lead investor, with a deal expected in September, to support its future after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) ended further investments.
- CEO Scott O’Neil announced plans for players to become majority equity holders and a reduced schedule of 10 events split between the US and international venues.
- LIV Golf attracted top players with PIF’s US$5 billion backing and set records like the 2026 Adelaide event, Australia’s highest-attended golf tournament with over 115,000 spectators.
AI generated
NEW YORK – LIV Golf has secured a new lead investor in a deal expected to be agreed in September, chief executive Scott O’Neil said on Aug 5, providing a funding boost for the breakaway circuit as it prepares for a future without backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Sovereign wealth fund PIF, which has invested more than US$5 billion (S$6.41 billion) in LIV Golf since its launch in 2022 and lured many leading players away from the PGA Tour, said in April that further investment in the circuit no longer aligned with its strategy.
“LIV Golf has an agreement in place with a lead investor, signed by the investor and approved by the board, to anchor the transaction and support the league’s next era,” O’Neil said in a statement.
“We’re also seeing strong interest from more than a dozen additional parties to potentially serve as minority investors, creating a multi-partner model built for long-term stability and growth.”
O'Neil said players would become majority equity holders in the league and that LIV Golf’s schedule would be reduced to 10 events, split evenly between international venues and the United States.
LIV Golf shook up the sport, using PIF’s financial backing to recruit Major champions Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, among other leading players to a circuit offering lucrative prize money.
LIV Golf Adelaide set a record in 2026 as Australia’s highest-ever attended golf tournament with more than 115,000 spectators. REUTERS
