LIV Golf has warned employees about the potential for layoffs as the company works to find a new investor after the withdrawal of funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and a major lawsuit seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
The Saudi-backed circuit has become closely associated with President Donald Trump, whose golf courses have hosted numerous LIV events and who has repeatedly championed the league amid its rivalry with the PGA Tour. If LIV were ultimately unable to secure new funding and cease operations, it could force many of the sport’s biggest stars to seek a return to traditional tours, disrupt existing player contracts, and mark the end of one of the most ambitious—and expensive—attempts to reshape professional golf in modern history.
LIV Golf told Newsweek that there are “no changes” to the schedule, workforce or the league’s operations at this time, but that the company notified employees about potential layoffs in accordance with its legal obligations in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The league said the process of identifying strategic investors “moves forward in a positive direction.”
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Is LIV Golf Shutting Down?
The short answer is no. LIV Golf told Newsweek that the league is going to continue with the 2026 season without any immediate changes, and PIF has said it will continue to fund the league through the current season.
“We continue to reach our planned milestones in discussions with potential investors and remain optimistic about securing a long-term investment partner,” LIV Golf told Newsweek. “We are 100% focused on securing a transition with the support of our expert advisory team and independent board and won’t speculate on other outcomes.”
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund—the sovereign wealth fund that financed LIV Golf’s launch and expansion—announced that it would stop funding league operations after the 2026 season. Reports have estimated that PIF invested between $5 billion and $8 billion into the venture since its inception.
In June, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil dodged a question about whether the league had enough funding to complete its schedule.
“What I can guarantee is that there is a heck of a return if you come and invest in this business,” he told Fox News.
Created in 2022 as a rival to the PGA Tour, the league was built on an unprecedented spending spree that attracted stars including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith with massive guaranteed contracts and lucrative tournament purses. In 2022, Trump encouraged players to join LIV Golf, saying people who stayed “loyal to the very disloyal PGA” would pay for it when the merger with LIV comes.
However, after the PIF announced it would stop funding the league, Trump urged the PGA to welcome back the LIV golfers because “the great golfers should be playing against each other.”
“I want to see Rory playing Bryson,” Trump said. “I want to see Big Jon Rahm playing Scottie. They’re great players. There’s something nice about all of the players playing together.”
Since learning that Saudi funding would end, LIV executives have been pitching potential investors and exploring alternative financing options. Reports indicate the league is seeking between $250 million and $350 million in new capital to continue operations beyond 2026.
CEO Scott O’Neil has insisted that LIV remains committed to completing its schedule and attracting new investors who believe the league can eventually become profitable. Rahm told Golf Digest that he hasn’t been asked to put his own money into the league but didn’t rule out the possibility he could become an investor.
“I’m not going to say absolutely no to anything that can happen in the future,” Rahm said.
LIV Golf Schedule, Events
Despite the uncertainty, LIV Golf continues to maintain an active schedule.
The league has already completed much of its 2026 campaign and currently plans to stage its remaining tournaments as scheduled. LIV’s next event is set for July 23-26 in the United Kingdom. LIV will also hold events:
August 6-9 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New JerseyAugust 20-23 at The Club at Chatham Hills in Indianapolis, IndianaAugust 27-30 at The Cardinal at Saint John’s in Plymouth, Michigan
Earlier this year, LIV Golf postponed a planned tournament in New Orleans, an announcement that fueled speculation about whether the organization was beginning to feel the effects of reduced financial support. League officials cited scheduling challenges, summer heat and conflicts with the FIFA World Cup, but the postponement nevertheless intensified questions about the circuit’s stability.
LIV Golf Lawsuit
The financial uncertainty facing LIV Golf has been compounded by new legal challenges.
According to Golf Digest, lawyers representing World Golf Group and the Premier Golf League (PGL) are seeking damages estimated between $210 million and $630 million from LIV Golf, the Public Investment Fund and related entities.
The lawsuit centers on allegations that LIV Golf appropriated concepts originally developed by the Premier Golf League. The plaintiffs argue that key elements of LIV’s format—including team-based competition, 54-hole tournaments and other structural features—were developed by the PGL years before LIV launched.
The case has emerged at a particularly sensitive moment. Not only is LIV trying to convince investors that it can survive without Saudi financial backing, but it is also seeking to demonstrate that its business model remains viable despite years of losses. Significant legal liabilities could complicate fundraising efforts or make potential investors more cautious.
Supporters of the league argue that LIV has achieved meaningful gains since its founding, including attracting some of golf’s biggest stars, expanding the sport’s international footprint and challenging long-established norms within professional golf. Critics counter that the business has yet to demonstrate a sustainable path to profitability and remains heavily dependent on outside financial support.
For now, LIV Golf remains alive, tournaments remain on the calendar, and executives continue their search for investors. But the combination of potential layoffs, departing Saudi funding and escalating legal risks means the questions surrounding the league’s future are unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas