Liv Golf : la rencontre qui retient son souffle

Saudi Arabia will withdraw its multi-billion dollar backing of LIV Golf at the end of the season, plunging the future of the series into doubt. Liv Golf s'impose comme l'un des sujets qui mobilisent l'attention en South Africa ce jeudi.

Les faits

• Saudi Arabia will withdraw its multi-billion dollar backing of LIV Golf at the end of the season, plunging the future of the series into doubt.
• LIV Golf understood to have held call with 13 team captains including Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm this week to discuss future plans; players are exploring their options amid the withdrawal of Saudi funding.
• They said LIV Golf was on course to earn $100m (£86m) more in 2026 than last season, and are telling potential investors that ten of the LIV teams will be profitable this year.
• This month LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil told players the 2026 season would continue "as planned and uninterrupted" amid rumours the tour was on the verge of collapse, although he did not address what might lie ahead.
• LIV Golf Virginia at Trump National Golf Club, just outside of Washington DC, is scheduled to begin on 7 May.

L'essentiel

Dans le détail, LIV Golf understood to have held call with 13 team captains including Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm this week to discuss future plans; players are exploring their options amid the withdrawal of Saudi funding.

Sur le fond, they said LIV Golf was on course to earn $100m (£86m) more in 2026 than last season, and are telling potential investors that ten of the LIV teams will be profitable this year.

Concrètement, this month LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil told players the 2026 season would continue "as planned and uninterrupted" amid rumours the tour was on the verge of collapse, although he did not address what might lie ahead.

Au-delà de ce constat, LIV Golf Virginia at Trump National Golf Club, just outside of Washington DC, is scheduled to begin on 7 May.

Reste à préciser que Is this the beginning of the end for LIV Golf?Published16 April.

Les chiffres

À noter par ailleurs : Golf Digest has learned from a PGA Tour source that with LIV set to inform players and staff as early as Thursday that PIF is withdrawing its funding after 2026—and one of the remaining scheduled LIV events already postponed—the Returning Member Program is not expected to be renewed.

Plus précisément, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed it will end its funding for LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season.

Dans la foulée, Sources with knowledge of LIV Golf business operations told Sky Sports News the company remains committed to a global tour, having seen over 200,000 fans attend events in Australia and South Africa this year, and the team golf model.

À ce stade, LIV Golf announced the postponement of its June 25-28 event in Louisiana earlier this week.

Le contexte

Reste à préciser que while LIV Golf members may seek to return to the PGA Tour should LIV collapse, the conditions are expected to be considerably more restrictive than those granted to Brooks Koepka.

À noter par ailleurs : With LIV Golf reportedly losing its financial backing from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Golf Digest has learned that representatives for multiple LIV players have contacted the PGA Tour to discuss a potential return.

Plus précisément, LIV Golf offers $30m prize money at each of its events and has already spent $5 billion since its creation in 2022 - a figure that will reach $6 billion by the end of this year, according to Money in Sport

Dans la foulée, However, a LIV Golf spokesperson told Sky Sports last week that the league was on target to make $100m (£74.07m) through its first five events of the season.

À ce stade, the spokesperson also said that four LIV Golf events and 10 teams would be profitable in 2026, adding the league was "in the early stages of reviewing strategic options for team equity sales, aligning with the League's long-term strategic plan of diversifying stakeholders and separately capitalising teams".

Recherches associées

Plusieurs requêtes connexes accompagnent ce sujet : Le fonds souverain saoudien ne financera plus le circuit LIV Golf et ses stars, conséquence de la crise du Golfe persique • « Je ne voulais pas compromettre mon rêve » Pourquoi Robert MacIntyre a dit non au LIV Golf • Golf-Le LIV cherche de nouveaux investisseurs après le retrait du financement saoudien • Golf. LIV: Après le retrait de son financeur saoudien, le LIV à la recherche de nouveaux partenaires - Ouest • L’Arabie Saoudite stoppe ses investissements dans LIV Golf • LIV Golf à la recherche de nouveaux partenaires après le retrait de son financeur saoudien - Radio.

À retenir

• They said LIV Golf was on course to earn $100m (£86m) more in 2026 than last season, and are telling potential investors that ten of the LIV teams will be profitable this year.
• This month LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil told players the 2026 season would continue "as planned and uninterrupted" amid rumours the tour was on the verge of collapse, although he did not address what might lie ahead.
• While LIV Golf members may seek to return to the PGA Tour should LIV collapse, the conditions are expected to be considerably more restrictive than those granted to Brooks Koepka.
• Recherches qui explosent : Le fonds souverain saoudien ne financera plus le circuit LIV Golf et ses stars, conséquence de la crise du Golfe persique, « Je ne voulais pas compromettre mon rêve » Pourquoi Robert MacIntyre a dit non au LIV Golf, Golf-Le LIV cherche de nouveaux investisseurs après le retrait du financement saoudien, Golf. LIV: Après le retrait de son financeur saoudien, le LIV à la recherche de nouveaux partenaires - Ouest.