LIV Golf's Saudi Funding Runs Out, Leaving League's Future in Doubt

Indianapolis, Indiana —

Golfers, caddies and staff traded uneasy small talk at Chatham Hills Golf Club in Indianapolis this week, unsure whether the tournament they were finishing marked the end of LIV Golf as it has existed for four years. The Saudi-backed league that shook up professional golf in 2022 held what could be its last event under current ownership after its Saudi financial backers pulled their funding, having invested more than $5 billion (£3.6 billion), according to BBC Sport.

A New Investor, but No Deal Yet

League officials talked openly about "LIV 2.0," a rebuilt version of the circuit under new ownership. BBC Sport reported that Ted Goldthorpe, who heads the credit division at the investment firm BC Partners, is the prospective investor being courted to keep the league running. Goldthorpe attended LIV's event in Bedminster, New York, but stayed out of public view during the Indianapolis stop, even leaving the clubhouse through a side door to avoid reporters, BBC Sport reported. He met with players as a group to lay out a vision focused on making the league sustainable and eventually profitable, according to the outlet.

LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil said the goal is a league that is "built to last," describing a proposed schedule of 10 events a year across five continents, smaller than the current calendar, BBC Sport reported. Prize money at the Indianapolis event was roughly half what it had been at earlier events this season, a preview of leaner years ahead if a deal goes through. Players have been promised equity in the reorganized league and would regain control of their name, image and likeness rights for endorsements, though the size of any equity stake has not been disclosed, according to BBC Sport. O'Neil said he was confident the league would keep "a critical mass of the right players" to move forward, while acknowledging players need specifics soon to plan their futures.

Players Wait for Answers

Not everyone at Chatham Hills sounded convinced a second act is coming. One person close to the league called it the "last hurrah," and a senior figure in golf media told BBC Sport, "We're at the hospice, not the funeral." Others held out hope, describing the moment as "darkest before dawn."

Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion who joined LIV in 2022, told BBC Sport the mood among players was "subdued," noting that among LIV's 57 golfers, "there are 57 different mindsets" about what comes next. He said he was weighing a return to the European Tour.

The uncertainty has spilled into public disagreements. Rory McIlroy said LIV players face a "tough road back" to the PGA Tour and questioned whether they add value to it, Sky Sports reported. Lee Westwood called McIlroy's comments "typical" and "not well thought out," pointing to his own sponsor's invitation to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship as proof LIV players still draw interest. Bryson DeChambeau, who has not said whether he will re-sign with LIV, told Sky Sports the league has "a lot against us" but hopes fans and rivals give it "one more shot."