LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil vehemently pushed back on reports on the rebel golf league’s imminent demise, telling staff in an email on Wednesday that the 2026 season is continuing “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.”
The LIV executive was clearly trying to quell panic after reports from the Financial Times, Telegraph and other outlets earlier in the day that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was on the verge of pulling its financial backing for the league.
The reports set off widespread confusion and intrigue around the sports world, as speculation mounted about the potential end of LIV Golf, which ignited a civil war in the sport since its inception in 2022.
“I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle,” O’Neil wrote in the email shared by multiple outlets. “While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass. We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organization that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before.
“The life of a startup movement is often defined by these moments of pressure. We signed up for this because we believe in disrupting the status quo. We have faced headwinds since the jump, and we’ve answered every time with resilience and grace. Now, we answer by doing what we do best: putting on the most compelling show in sports.”
The email did not directly refute the broader concern of the PIF funding for LIV Golf or its future following the end of the 2026 golf season. The dramatic reports came on the eve of the circuit’s tournament taking place at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico.
Reuters reported Wednesday evening that the 2026 season will go on as scheduled with the full backing of the PIF, but did not indicate whether that support would continue beyond this year.
“To the teams in New York, London, and those on the ground here with me in Mexico: lean into this moment,” part of the email read. “The noise you hear is simply the sound of a movement that is working. Embrace it. We are pioneers, and while the road isn’t always smooth, the destination is worth every mile.
“Let’s go out and show the world why LIV Golf is the future of the game.
“It matters. You mattered. Now, let’s go win.”
