LIV Golf twist as three-word update update given after collapse claims | Golf | Sport

LIV Golf has insisted the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund is not going to pull the plug on the rebel golf tour, insiting it will “continue as planned”. After the Masters, rumours abound on social media the tour’s Saudi backers were considering ending their financial support.

Since it’s inception in 2022, several reports have claimed the tour has lost over $1billion, as a result of the hulking salaries they have paid the likes of Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and many more. It has also seen high profile stars like Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed walk away from the tour, with the former leaving when he still had one year left on his deal. Moreover, there is the impact on Saudi Arabia following the Middle East conflict between the USA and Israel and Iran to consider. The conflict has seen several key areas of infrastructure in Saudi be struck by missiles and drones and LIV chairman and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan recently said: “The war would add more pressure to reposition priorities.”

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Moreover, other reports also stated LIV officials were summoned to an “emergency summit” in New York while other articles claimed many officials within the tour were on the lookout for new jobs. In the wake of these stories, the Times claims one ‘high-ranking LIV official’ said the LIV campaign will “continue as planned”.

It also states LIV CEO Scott O’Neil also added: “Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle,” while Richard Bland, a golf star on the tour, also said: “We’ve been told it’s business as usual.”

O’Neil also recently admitted it could be as long as ten years until the tour starts making a profit, with the PIF already plunging £3.7bn into the tour since 2022. The PIF recently outlined its new strategy for the next five years which has put focus onto projects designed to have an economic impact on Saudi’s economy and national interests.

After this was outlined, a post from an X page called ‘Monday Q Info’ which has gained a reputation for being a reliable outlet on all matters golf, said a “bombshell” announcement on the tour was inevitable – no denial was made by LIV after this tweet went viral.

At the Masters, John Rahm also said he knew what has been wrong but was “probably not going to say it right now” while DeChambeau was reduced to tears after he failed to make the cut at Augusta, but refused to explain why he was so emotional. Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters winner, also became the first ever player in the major to receive an official code of conduct warning after he smashed the teebox with his driver, before breaking it in two by whacking a drinks box.

At a recently rescheduled press conference, Garcia addressed the rumours of the tour, saying: “We have not heard anything apart from what Yasir told us at the beginning of the year, that he is behind us, that they have a project for many years. As you know there’s always a lot of rumours. I can’t tell you more than anything we already know.”

While LIV is still ongoing, it has already undergone several changes. It has moved away from its infamous 54 hole format – which was a major selling point and the inspiration behind the LIV name, given LIV is Roman numerals for 54 – and reverted to a traditional 72-hole format. They are also targeting young players with potential, instead of forking out nine-figure sums to poach the best players on the planet, like they did in 2022 when it disrupted the golf world.

In February, it managed to secure world ranking points for a limited number of its players, but the defections of Reed and Koepka has dented it’s appeal. The fact Koepka was able to return to the PGA Tour, albeit after donating $5m to charity as part of its ‘Returning Members’ programme, has also signified to any possible dissatisfied stars there is a route back to the PGA Tour.