Saudi Arabia will withdraw its multi-billion dollar financial backing of LIV Golf at the end of the current season, casting serious doubt over the future of the breakaway tour.
On Thursday, LIV announced a "strategic evolution" including a new independent board led by Gene Davis and Jon Zinman, who have experience navigating complex situations. The tour is seeking replacement investors, with sources indicating that LIV is "totally up for sale."
Reports suggest the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) may confirm that its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan—who co-founded LIV in 2021 and served as its most powerful figure—is stepping down from the board.
This week, LIV postponed its June event in New Orleans, leaving a gap in its US schedule from 10 May until 6 August. However, tournaments in South Korea, Spain, and Britain remain on the calendar.
BBC Sport has learned that LIV hopes to continue as an international tour with a team model and is in "constructive" talks with potential investors. The tour claims it is on course to earn $100 million more in 2026 than last season, and that ten of its teams will be profitable this year. Yet officials acknowledge a significant scale-back is almost certain, likely reducing the number of events from the current 14.
Davis said: "LIV Golf has built something truly differentiated—a global league with passionate fans, world-class talent, and demonstrated commercial momentum. We see a clear opportunity to formalise its structure, attract long-term capital, and position the business for growth."
Major winners such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, and Cameron Smith compete on the LIV tour. The project, which adopted a more traditional 72-hole format this year, has been entirely bankrolled by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.
Team captains and staff have been briefed on the plan to find new funding. Earlier this month, LIV CEO Scott O'Neil told players the 2026 season would continue "as planned and uninterrupted" amid collapse rumors, but he did not address the long-term outlook.