The LIV Golf league is facing the potential loss of its significant financial support from Saudi Arabia, putting over 50 top players in a state of uncertainty. In response, the league has appointed new members to its board to seek alternative long-term financial backers.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia is planning to withdraw its funding for the league after the current season concludes. LIV Golf has established an independent board, headed by Gene Davis and Jon Zinman, to oversee the league’s next steps.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the current board chairman, is expected to step down from his position, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the future of the tour and impacting numerous prominent golfers.
Notable players like Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson had left the PGA Tour for the lucrative offers from LIV Golf, with Jon Rahm also making the switch. Now, these stars, along with others, face an uncertain professional future.
Despite recent claims by LIV Golf’s CEO Scott O’Neil that funding was secured until the end of the season, the situation has evolved differently. O’Neil emphasized the need to secure ongoing funding through business efforts post-season, similar to standard practices in private equity-funded ventures.
Mirror Sport provides a comprehensive list of golfers affected by the funding withdrawal.