When the LIV Tour was founded in 2021 and started in 2022, the question I had at the time was simply how in the world could the LIV Tour generate revenue when they were paying their golfers an exorbitant amount of money. I questioned their long term financial plan and just did not see it made a lot of cents/sense.
Now it has been made public that the funding from the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund to the LIV Tour may soon be over, and there are significant questions if the last four LIV tournaments this year will take place according to Mark Schlabach of ESPN. For now, the events are scheduled to take place in Rocester, England (July 23 to July 26), The Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey (August 6 to August 9), Westfield, Indiana (August 20 to August 23), and Plymouth, Michigan (August 27 to August 30). It is interesting that the LIV plans to end their golf season in Michigan at a time when the PGA Tour has announced that this will be the final season of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
The amount of money that we are talking about at this time is $350 million. Now, LIV CEO Scott O’Neil is trying to replace the PIF funding, and is in a serious time crunch in order to salvage the season.
However, we are not just talking about the rest of the 2026 LIV season which is in jeopardy. The future of the tour is in serious disarray, and it would not be surprising if more golfers (other than Patrick Reed and Brooks Koepka) return to the PGA Tour.
