Four years after its dramatic launch, LIV Golf may be going out with a whimper
By Robby Kalland Apr 15, 2026 at 5:38 pm ET • 5 min read 
Getty Images LIV Golf's launch in June 2022 was meant to disrupt and challenge the existing structure of professional golf, creating a rival league for the PGA Tour with a goal to steal the game's top stars to rebuild golf in a new image. Four years later, the Saudi Arabia-financed league may be on the precipice of closing its doors, leaving the future of some of the game's best players in question.
The Saudi-financed Public Investment Fund is heavily considering ending its multibillion-dollar investment in LIV Golf, according to The Athletic and the Wall Street Journal, amid a reevaluation of its financial commitments in the sports space and the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. League executives have been involved in high-level meetings over the last few days with most expecting to see their positions eliminated.
While LIV Golf's players are in Mexico City preparing for its next event, the league's future is tenuous after years of failed efforts to recruit players and establish a substantial audience. As the PGA Tour itself added private investments and increased purses for its signature tournaments, LIV Golf struggled to bring in top names after an initial wave of signings while bleeding money -- paying high-priced salaries and putting on events that no one was watching.
The PIF pulling its funding would not directly result in the closure of LIV Golf, though it would make life extremely difficult for a league that has been relying on those billions to keep itself afloat while not receiving substantial media rights or ticketing revenue.
Critics accused LIV Golf of serving as a sportswashing arm for Saudi Arabia, an operation that existed as a means of improving the country's reputation amid accusations of human rights abuses and corruption. Proponents suggested it was pushing the game of golf forward, presenting an alternative product with a different format.
However, LIV Golf failed to obtain recognition from the sport's preeminent evaluation body, the Official World Golf Rankings, due to its 54-hole, shotgun-start, no-cut tournaments, and the team competition element failed to catch on with fans. As such, LIV Golf was forced to change its format and only recently received acknowledgment from the OWGR, moves that may have been too little, too late, considering interest in the league never grew and Saudi financial support was becoming too burdensome.
What would happen to LIV Golf's best players?
Two-time U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau and two-time major champion Jon Rahm are the two biggest stars under contract with LIV Golf, though other burgeoning talents like Joaquín Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton join them on the circuit. (Five-time major champion winner Brooks Koepka and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed recently departed the league for the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, respectively.)
The PGA Tour has already shown a willingness to create paths for top stars to return; however, it did so minding the feelings and perspectives of its membership, many of whom declined the get-richer-quicker prospect of signing with LIV Golf to remain loyal and continue playing stateside.
After DeChambeau and Rahm declined the opportunity this offseason to bolt alongside Koepka, that process will need to be reevaluated. Koepka's deal, which included a $5 million charitable donation, ineligibility for the Player Equity Program for five years and no FedEx Cup payouts in his first year back, was billed as a one-time offer that was "not precedent-setting," per the PGA Tour.
These potentially unhomed players would have no leverage in talks with the PGA Tour, putting them in a difficult bargaining position.
One option could be for the PGA Tour to offer the same deal Reed received: serve a one-year suspension and regain status via major championship and DP World Tour competition. DeChambeau and Rahm would still have full-time status upon returning, as they have won majors within the last five years. The road could be more arduous for others.
LIV Golf's ambitious recruitments
When LIV Golf first began, some believed it presented an existential threat to the PGA Tour. With billions of dollars in backing from Saudi Arabia, they were aggressive in pursuing many of the game's top stars with lucrative nine-figure deals. Greg Norman was the head of the venture with Phil Mickelson becoming the public face of the league -- stirring up controversy almost immediately.
While LIV Golf found success recruiting some older players, it was only able to coax a few top stars with promises of guaranteed money and a shortened global schedule.
Dustin Johnson was among the first to sign, followed by DeChambeau, Koepka, Reed and Niemann. Cameron Smith defected from the PGA Tour shortly after winning his first major at the 2022 Open Championship, helping the league improve its legitimacy outside of the legacies of Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen and others.
The biggest shockwave came after LIV Golf's second season when Rahm, who publicly denied any desire to join LIV when asked on multiple occasions, bolted from the PGA Tour in December 2023, announcing his move in an odd interview after receiving an offer reportedly worth over $300 million.
The Rahm move came months after an infamous "framework deal" was struck between the PIF and PGA Tour Enterprises, which appeared to be a ceasefire, indicating a potential merger was on the horizon. Years later, despite continued conversations and at least one meeting at the White House, the parties never moved closer together.
Cracks began to show ...
LIV Golf's facade began to crumble late in 2025 when Koepka suddenly announced he was leaving a year before his contract was to expire. He was quickly brought back by the PGA Tour, signaling that the circuit was more willing to negotiate with notable golfers who wanted to return with CEO Brian Rolapp in charge. Reed's departure followed, and while others declined similar offers, LIV Golf continued to struggle to grow its ranks.
To try and keep top stars happy and better prepare players for majors, LIV Golf expanded to 72-hole events in 2026. However, while Rahm appreciated the move, DeChambeau wasn't excited about the change, highlighting that it was not what he signed up to do. Holding onto Rahm and DeChambeau was of the utmost importance, but with both wavering, it was tough to see a future ahead.
LIV Golf produced some successful on-site events, like those in South Africa and Australia, where the PGA Tour does not regularly run, but the global schedule and lack of star power struggled to connect with fans, who simply did not watch the product.
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