President Donald Trump and PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan were together before the final round of LIV Golf\u2019s event at Trump National Bedminster on Sunday. They stood side-by-side in the player dining room, as Trump extolled the playing accomplishments of legend Gary Player, who was also in the room.<\/p>\n
Bubba Watson\u2019s caddie, Gabe Sauer,\u00a0published the video to his Instagram story<\/a>. As Trump exited the clubhouse and was photographed by wire services, Al-Rumayyan was in the background.<\/p>\n While Trump has routinely visited LIV tournaments held on his properties, it\u2019s not immediately clear what Al-Rumayyan\u2019s intentions are for being in New Jersey. He was previously chairman of the board for LIV and widely seen as its biggest supporter within Saudi Arabia\u2019s sovereign wealth fund, until the PIF pulled future funding from the rebel golf league in April.<\/p>\n \u201cThe substantial investment required by LIV Golf over a longer term is no longer consistent with the current phase of PIF\u2019s investment strategy. This decision has been made in light of PIF\u2019s investment priorities and current macro dynamics,\u201d the PIF explained in a statement at the time.<\/p>\n Since the PIF decided to pull away from LIV, an investment that cost it billions of dollars, LIV Golf CEO Scott O\u2019Neil has been searching for a new funding source that would allow the four-year-old league to continue until 2027.<\/p>\n He claimed Wednesday<\/a> to have found a new \u201clead\u201d investor, though he declined to provide specifics. Bloomberg<\/a> reported that BC Partners Credit was considering a loan, and the Financial Times<\/a> indicated that the PIF was considering paying off remaining player contracts to settle any potential liability. Multiple players, most notably Jon Rahm, could be convinced to stay with LIV and be given equity in \u201cLIV 2.0\u201d as a result.<\/p>\n Ted Goldthorpe, head of BC Partners Credit, was also in the same room at Trump Bedminster as Trump and Al-Rumayyan, per a source with direct knowledge. They were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.<\/p>\n A LIV Golf spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment on Al-Rumayyan\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n Al-Rumayyan\u2019s portfolio extends far beyond the sporting world, but the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has limited oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, has hurt the Saudi Arabian economy.<\/p>\n