LIV Golf players and staff have been told that the Saudi funding is “only guaranteed until the end of the season,” leading to “fears that the breakaway circuit will have to look for outside investment to remain in operation.” LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil insisted in his message to the staff that it was “business as usual” and that the “season continues at full throttle.” However, after previously claiming that PIF had assured finance until at least 2032, O’Neil this time did “not mention a timeline.” But it is understood that in private, it was revealed that this funding has “only been confirmed for the remaining eight events of this year” (London TELEGRAPH, 4/16).
O’Neil said that LIV Golf is “preparing to make structural changes that ‘might surprise some people.’” He said, “I talked about some structural changes. They’re coming.” O’Neil: “I rolled out the plan. We have one, and it is … it might surprise some people.” The Saudi PIF is estimated to have spent around $5B on LIV Golf. But at a five-year plan presentation this week it said that it would “focus on ‘increasing the efficiency of investments.’” O’Neil said Thursday that the LIV Golf tour “would ‘probably’ have to raise money” (YAHOO SPORTS, 4/16).