LIV Golf reaches agreement with 'new lead investor' after Saudi PIF withdrew funding from breakaway league
The agreement with LIV Golf's new investor is set to be finalised in September; as part of a restructuring, players will become majority equity holders in the league and a new season structure will be implemented that will include 'Five Team Majors'
Wednesday 5 August 2026 17:35, UK
LIV Golf has reached an agreement with a new unnamed investor after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced in April it was ending funding to the breakaway league at the end of 2026.
Sky Sports News understands the deal is set to be finalised this month.
As part of the arrangement, players will also own a majority equity stake in the league, with the season set to be hosted around 10 annual team events.
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The season schedule would also include five global "Team Majors" staged across different continents.
The PIF's decision to withdraw funding from the league in April cast doubt over LIV Golf's future.
Following a board restructuring, LIV later announced that it was seeking new "long-term financial partners".
But LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil has told Sky Sports News that along with the new investor, the league is building a new 'multi-partner model' as it looks to secure its longevity going forward.
"LIV Golf has an agreement in place with a lead investor, signed by the investor and approved by the Board, to anchor the transaction and play a key role in supporting the path forward for the League's next era, driven by and for the players," O'Neil said.
"We're also seeing strong interest from more than a dozen additional parties to potentially serve as minority investors, creating a multi-partner model built for long-term stability and growth.
"Our next chapter will make our players the majority equity holders in LIV Golf, a first for a major global sports league, and gives the league the foundation to keep growing the game worldwide."
O'Neil added the league hopes to enter into the transaction with the new lead investor in September, and called the announcement "good news."
In a press conference ahead of LIV Golf New York this week, O'Neil added the players were made aware of the new deal on Tuesday and there was "good excitement".
It came as Bryson DeChambeau led a player's-only meeting at Trump Bedminster on Tuesday. O'Neil was not invited to the meeting but said the players held "robust conversations" which he added have had a "positive impact".
The CEO is remaining tight-lipped on the details of the new arrangement, but explained he was grateful to the PIF for giving LIV Golf time to look for new investors.
"I have a lot of appreciation for them allowing us this time to go and find investment, and it's not something they had to do," O'Neil said.
Will the investment help LIV Golf keep DeChambeau and Rahm?
Questions have been mounting over whether DeChambeau would commit to playing on the breakaway league for another season.
The American's deal will expire at the conclusion of the 2026 season, and the two-time US Open champion was optimistic that a new contract could be reached.
He, along with Jon Rahm, are two of the biggest stars on the LIV circuit, with DeChambeau understood to be looking for a new deal worth around $500m (£370.5m).
Amid LIV's funding crisis, fulfilling that fee seemed unlikely.
But with a new investor, O'Neil seemed optimistic about the league's chances of pinning down their big stars like Rahm and DeChambeau.
He explained that the league was looking to move to an "era of free agency" in which LIV would "work together" with other tours.
"I would certainly love them to come along for the ride and journey because they carry maybe more weight than anybody in the game and I have a lot of time for that," O'Neil said.
"I think we have enough support from enough players, and we have such an interesting format and global format, I think we'll do quite well in getting the right stars for this game."
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