SEASON LIVS ON, SAYS CEO

O'Neil stresses golf circuit continues 'at full throttle' amid talk of Saudis pulling funding

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LIV Golf has moved to reassure players and staff that it remains fully funded, as reports circulated on April 15 that the breakaway tour is on the verge of collapse due to the possible withdrawal of Saudi Arabian financing.

The Saudi-backed tour has bitterly divided the world of golf since its 2022 launch, when several of the sport's biggest names were lured to defect from the traditional PGA and DP World tours with huge-money deals.

Rumours have mounted in recent days that LIV Golf's deep-pocketed backers in Riyadh, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), have cooled on the extravagantly expensive project, which has reportedly cost them over US$5 billion (S$6.36 billion) so far.

And multiple outlets including the Financial Times, New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported on April 15 that the near-US$1-trillion Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF's withdrawal was imminent, all citing anonymous sources.

But a "high-ranking" league source told bunkered.co.uk that "funding and operations for LIV Golf are continuing as planned" for at least the remainder of the 2026 schedule.

"I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle," LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil wrote in an email to staff, including players.

"While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass."

O'Neil's missive came as players assembled in Mexico City ahead of this week's LIV event, where tour organisers were presenting a business-as-usual front.