\t\t\t\tLIV Golf players are set to be told that its Saudi Arabian backing will be officially over.<\/p>\n
The future of LIV Golf and its biggest stars is in increasing doubt with Saudi Arabia\u2019s Public Investment Fund set to officially pull the plug on its financial backing of the tour. <\/p>\n
The Wall Street Journal<\/a> reported that the breakaway league\u2019s players and staff were to be told on Thursday that PIF was withdrawing its funding, walking away from its $5billion backing of the controversial upstart league. In a four-year period, the PIF has split the men\u2019s professional game irrevocably by signing some of the sport\u2019s biggest names, including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. <\/p>\n But LIV\u2019s future is now perilous without the PIF\u2019s backing of its $30million events. <\/p>\n LIV chief executive Scott O\u2019Neil has already conceded that he will need to secure outside investment for the league after rumors swirled about PIF\u2019s withdrawal during their latest stop in Mexico. The league\u2019s tournament in New Orleans in June was postponed this week. <\/p>\n \u201cThe reality is that you\u2019re funded through the season, and then you work like crazy as a business to create a business and a business plan to keep us going,\u201d\u00a0O\u2019Neil told TNT Sports<\/a>\u00a0in Mexico in an interview that was later deleted.<\/p>\n TG reported on Tuesday that multiple LIV players are sounding out the DP World Tour as fallback options should the league fail to secure alternate funding and cease operations after the 2026 season. <\/p>\n It has emerged that the PGA Tour are fielding similar calls. Golf Digest<\/a> claims that players and agents are reaching out to Ponte Vedra HQ, but they have been told their route back to the circuit will come with stricter conditions than Brooks Koepka\u2019s reinstatement earlier this year. A contrived Returning Members Program which also offered the chance for DeChambeau, Rahm and Cam Smith to return this year is not expected to be repeated. <\/p>\n