LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil on Wednesday dismissed the notion that the league would be shut down this week in Mexico City, telling staff in a late afternoon memo: “Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” O’Neil sent the email, timestamped for 4pm ET, after a day of speculation about LIV’s future. He noted the league was “heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organization that is bigger, louder and more influential that ever before.”
The Financial Times reported the Saudi PIF was “on the verge” of pulling its funding for LIV, though a final decision had not been made about the future of the league. Other outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and N.Y. Times, had similar reporting about LIV’s future. Much of the debate among industry sources centered around when, not if, the PIF would pull funding, either this week or at the end of LIV’s 2026 season. Though O’Neil’s email didn’t directly address funding from the PIF, sources within the league said funding would continue throughout 2026. However, late Wednesday, Fox News’ Bret Baier cited two sources as saying the PIF’s funding “will definitely come to an end at the end of this LIV season, citing a change of priorities.”
Meanwhile, the PIF on Wednesday announced its investment strategy for 2026-30 and within it highlighted six economic ecosystems that would strengthen its investments. Those include: “Tourism, Travel, and Entertainment,” “Urban Development,” “Advanced Industries and Innovation,” “Industry and Logistics,” “Clean and Renewable Energy and Water Infrastructure,” and “NEOM.” When the PIF announced its strategy for 2021-25, it highlighted 13 sectors it would focus on for its core domestic strategy. Among those was “Leisure & Sports,” which was not included in the 2026-30 plan announced today.
LIV is scheduled to tee off in Mexico City on Thursday, its sixth tournament of the 2026 season.
