LIV has life.
LIV golf has been given a new lease on life by an unnamed investor who has signed an agreement to invest in the league. No details on the identity of the investor or the amount invested.
Scott O’Neil, the CEO of LIV, made the announcement at a press conference in New York City, ahead of the league’s tournament this week at Trump National Bedminster.
“LIV Golf has an agreement in place with a lead investor, signed by the investor and approved by the board, to anchor the transaction and play a key role in supporting the path forward for the league’s next era, driven by and for the players,’’ he said of the deal, which is expected to close in September.
O’Neil added that he has interest from a number of minority investors that will also provide stability for the organization. He stated that more than a dozen additional parties are interested.
While the news was positive and will allow LIV to operate into 2027, there is still no word on how the organization will handle payments owed to players.
Some of the amounts are significant. Jon Rahm, for example, is said to be owed up to $150 million. The players will likely become equity holders of the league.
It’s also unclear how LIV will handle a number of creditors who are owed money. One of those is Canadian company Mobii Systems Group, based in Oakville, Ont. It has sued LIV Golf in a Miami federal court for over $1 million in unpaid licensing and usage fees.
The new-look LIV tour planned for 2027 will have just 10 events: five of them in the United States and another five at international locations. There was no word on the format or whether the team system would remain in place.
LIV players will be allowed to participate on other tours, although there may not be any tours that will allow that. Last month, the Asian Tour ended its association with LIV and signed an agreement with the PGA and DP World tours.
LIV has been searching for a backer since April when the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia announced it was ending its funding. It’s believed it spent up to $6 billion on the golf league, which found some success internationally but struggled for attention in the United States.
While this news may give the tour a reprieve for 2027, finishing off 2026 may still be difficult.
Reports have indicated that the LIV’s season finale, set for Aug. 27-30 in Plymouth, Mich., may not happen. The host site has so far not seen any build out of infrastructure needed to host the event.
“In the meantime,” said O’Neil in the statement, “our focus is on delivering a great week for fans and players at Bedminster and finishing the 2026 season strong.”
