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LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil won’t guarantee that the league’s final four events of the 2026 season will take place.
After Front Office Sports reported Sunday that there is a growing sentiment among those in and around LIV that the funding from Saudi PIF could dry up even earlier than expected, O’Neil appeared on CNBC’s Halftime Report Tuesday.
Show host Scott Wapner asked: “Can you guarantee today that the four remaining tournaments on your schedule will actually take place?” O’Neil responded: “What I can guarantee is a heck of a return if you come invest in this business.”
The PIF in April said it would fund LIV through the end of this season, which concludes in August. There is a 47-day break between LIV’s latest event in Spain, which concluded Sunday, and its next tournament in the U.K. that begins July 23.
“I can say they’ve been terrific partners so far, and you have to take an incredible organization like PIF at their word—and they’ve been very public about funding us through the season,” O’Neil said Tuesday.
“So, we are full steam ahead. The players are locked in. The management team is locked in. And with advisors like AlixPartners and Gibson Dunn, and our new board members Gene Davis and Jon Zinman, Ducera’s our lead bank—we’re pretty excited about where we are.”
What’s Next For LIV
LIV has re-shaped its executive suite and leadership structure as it pitches new investors on funding the league—seeking up to $350 million—in 2027 and beyond.
“The response has been positive,” O’Neil told CNBC. “What’s been really interesting is: How do you slice this? How do you cut it? Is there one partner that comes in—maybe a big private equity firm—at the full $300 million, or do you have 10 or 12 investors at $50 million and $25 million units? And there seems to be an expression of interest on the family office side in the $50 million range, and the private equity firms are looking at one take all.”
The PIF’s total spend on LIV since launching in 2022 was projected to surpass $6 billion this year.
“I think it starts with the billions and billions of dollars that have been built to create the foundation of this program, to build a brand this strong, to assemble this kind of star power, and to be a truly global league,” O’Neil said of why LIV should be attractive to investors.
“This is a sports league that plays the most important sport in the world on five continents. There just aren’t that many opportunities like that. Now, the question is: Will the business be different than it was over the last five years? I can say—dramatically. This would be a very disciplined approach. We are cutting the expense side dramatically.”
LIV’s revenue this year is up $100 million over 2025, O’Neil said. However, it’s unclear how many sponsorship dollars may be coming from Saudi-funded companies such as Aramco and others that partner with the league.
LIV has yet to turn a profit, but O’Neil believes that will change this decade. “This will take three years, but we won’t be too far off, hence the raise,” he said. “This raise is designed and designated to get us to profitability.”
DeChambeau And Rahm’s Futures
The two most important LIV players are Bryson DeChambeau, whose contract expires after this season, and Jon Rahm, whose deal runs through 2029, according to a source.
“The difference between our league and many others is that this is made for and by the players,” O’Neil said. “Bryson was involved in the design of the business plan. So, yes, he’s engaged, he’s committed.”
O’Neil said he has been speaking to Rahm often lately. “This is different, and I know it’s hard for others in the golf industry to understand, but this is a group that is committed to their teams,” he said. “They’re committed to the league, and they’re committed to this program—reimagining team golf, truly growing the game around the world, and making an impact.”
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