LIV Golf CEO Declares League Funded Through 2032 as Saudi Cuts Loom

The Saudi-backed golf upstart faced an existential reckoning Wednesday when the Financial Times reported that the Public Investment Fund (PIF)—LIV's sole financial lifeline—was "on the verge of cutting its support" for the league. Within hours, CEO Scott O'Neill rushed to Mexico City, where LIV was holding its weekly tournament, to assure players and staff the reports were "false" and that the tour was "100% funded through the rest of the year." But the reassurance masked deeper uncertainty. Sources told Fox News Digital that the Saudis plan to stop funding LIV after the 2026 season, a dramatic reversal for a league that has burned through staggering sums since its June 2022 debut. The PIF injected over $1 billion annually into LIV during 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025, with monthly net spending averaging $100 million during the past two years. For 2026 alone, the fund approved a fresh $266.6 million injection, bringing cumulative Saudi investment to $5.3 billion. The funding questions emerged after the PIF announced a new five-year investment strategy focused on "reprioritizing spending," signaling that lavishing hundreds of millions more on golf may no longer align with Saudi Arabia's broader priorities. One player claimed that PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan told players during a March meeting in Hong Kong that funding was secured through 2032—a claim O'Neill echoed to industry sources last week at the Masters. Yet public statements from the Saudis have been notably absent, and the divergence between O'Neill's assurances and reporting from major financial outlets left the league's path forward murky. O'Neill's Wednesday memo struck a defiant tone, declaring that LIV was "bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before" and that the 2026 season would proceed "uninterrupted and at full throttle." Team captain Sergio Garcia added that players were unaware of any shutdown threats. Yet the fundamental question remained unresolved: What happens to the league and its roster of stars—many of whom signed multiyear, nine-figure contracts—if the Saudis follow through on cutting funding after this season?