LIV Golf CEO Addresses 'Uncertainty' amid Lost Funding, Plans to 'Right-Size' League

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil expressed optimism about the future of the league while acknowledging its murky present after news emerged that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is pulling funding after this season.

"I understand uncertainty is difficult for some people," O'Neil said Tuesday from Potomac Falls, Virginia, two days in advance of LIV holding an event at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, DC, per Barry Svrluga of The Athletic. "And I understand that not knowing what tomorrow brings can be a challenge. This is 100 percent what I love to do."

LIV made waves a few years ago by giving out eye-popping contracts and prize monites to some of the world's top players. Here's a quick breakdown via Mary Whitfill Roeloffs of Forbes.

"LIV has paid out nearly $1.36 billion in prize money and championship bonuses, after netting out the 60% share of team prize money that is retained to cover team operating expenses, and at least $1.6 billion in guarantees and signing bonuses, according to Forbes estimates.

"By the end of this season, if it is played out as originally scheduled, the total prize money pool will hit $1.59 billion and the total doled out will exceed $3.2 billion."

Obviously, there are a few questions here. Namely, how is LIV going to pay players who are under contract after this season, and what's the prize money structure going to look like without the backing of the Public Investment Fund?

O'Neil, who has been LIV's CEO since Jan. 2025, told reporters his goal was to "right-size" the business. However, he would not specify if purses would decrease after this year, per Svrluga. He was also asked whether PIF planned to pay out existing player contracts.

"I don't even know how to think about answering," O'Neil said.

LIV has rolled with a team format since its inception, and that will continue moving forward. O'Neil thinks that could be an incentive for people to invest in the league.

"If you ask me where the value of this business is, it's in the teams," O'Neil said. "So if you're looking for direction, we believe that teams will have extraordinary value and we believe once we set the business in the right direction, with the right trajectory, with the revenue base and cost base — which we're well on our way to doing that — these teams will have extraordinary value."

David Rumsey of Front Office Sports provided more on that front.

"Before the PIF decided to end its funding, LIV had already started exploring bringing on minority investors for some of its teams at $300 million valuations. The league has been working with Citi's sports advisory group on that process.

"Ownership of LIV's 13 franchises is currently split between the league, which holds 75% stakes in each team, and team captains, who own the remaining 25%—including Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC) and Jon Rahm (Legion XIII). Up until this point, there have been no investment transactions."

Ultimately, LIV's present and future seems awfully murky, especially with some big names (Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed) leaving and Bryson DeChambeau's contract up after this year.

O'Neil is clearly optimistic, though, that LIV has a future.