LIV Golf: Sergio Garcia responds to speculation over future of Saudi-backed league amid 'announcement' rumours
Doubts over LIV's future fuelled by speculation and reports since Tuesday; Sergio Garcia, speaking ahead of this week's Mexico event, said players told at start of year "we have a project for many years"; Sky Sports understands there is confusion among players, who are seeking reassurances
Wednesday 15 April 2026 23:08, UK
Sergio Garcia said he can't say "anything more” about LIV Golf beyond what players had previously been assured amid swirling speculation about the league’s future.
Ahead of their latest event in Mexico City this week, LIV's future has been at the centre of frenzied speculation since Tuesday night amid suggestions, initially on social media, that it could be in doubt.
The Daily Telegraph then reported on Wednesday that LIV Golf executives had been summoned to an "emergency meeting" in New York, before the Financial Times subsequently reported that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) that bankrolls the project was on verge of cutting its support, although that no final decision had been made.
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Sky Sports understands that there is a lot of confusion about the situation among LIV's players, who would like some reassurances, but team captains - of which Garcia is one - have not been informed of any imminent announcement.
It has been business as usual at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico on Wednesday, with players practising on the course ahead of Thursday's first round. Reports that players have not been granted entry to the course or of power being switched off were wide of the mark.
Jon Rahm's scheduled pre-event press conference did not take place in Mexico City on Tuesday due to what LIV said were technical reasons, but Garcia's did proceed as planned on Wednesday when the former Masters champion was asked about the growing speculation.
"Honestly, we aren't going to listen to anything except for what Yasir [Al-Rumayyan, LIV Golf chairman] told us as the start of the year, that he is behind us, that they have a project for many years," said Garcia, speaking in Spanish.
"As you know, there are always a lot of rumours.
"I can't tell you anything more than we already know."
The Golf Channel's Rich Lerner posted on X: "Pairings were just released for tomorrow's first round of LIV Golf Mexico, for what it's worth. Players, though, are still awaiting their fate. They'll know more likely by mid-afternoon."
Why might PIF withdraw LIV support?
Sky Sports News chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol:
"I think Saudi Arabia is having a little bit of a rethink about how much money it invests in sport.
"The Public Investment Fund, which is a sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, invests the money that Saudi Arabia makes from selling oil in order to diversify and grow the economy.
"PIF announced their new investment strategy for the next five years and also told the areas they were going to focus on. There were seven areas and in this new strategy sport is not explicitly mentioned but, having spoken to people in Saudi Arabia in the past, they would say that sport goes under tourism and also entertainment.
"So I don't think they are totally ignoring sport, but I think it is fair to say they are having a rethink and they are repositioning their priorities.
"I think the way they see it is 'business is business' and they want a return on their investment. Something like LIV, for instance, they have invested $5bn so far and it's expected that were they to continue funding LIV it would still lose money for the next five to 10 years.
"So I think, going forward, Saudi Arabia and PIF are still going to back and invest in football, Formula 1, golf, boxing, tennis but they will do so with much more of a business rationale. Deals have got to make sense for them. They don't want to be just seen as people who are there to throw money at everyone and any sports person who wants to come to Saudi Arabia.
"There is a war going on in the Middle East as well, economies all round the world have been affected by it, especially those in the Gulf region, so I think going forward Saudi Arabia is just saying to the world 'look, we are going to carry on investing in sport but we are going to be very, very sensible about the way we do things'."
The LIV Golf story so far
LIV Golf launched in 2021, funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), to serve as a rival to the established PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
Its emergence contributed to a division within professional golf, with some of the biggest names in the game like Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson defecting to the breakaway tour.
LIV began as a series of 54-hole tournaments, but switched to 74 holes for 2026 with the hope of securing Official World Golf Ranking points.
LIV had also announced for 2026 a total prize fund increase to $30m, with the team prize doubling to $10m alongside the $20m individual purse.
The Saudi-backed league started with 12 teams and 48 players, before expanding to 13 teams, but lost notable names in five-time major winner Brook Koepka and former Masters champion Patrick Reed in the past few months.
Koepka and Reed's reasons for LIV U-turns
Koepka has returned to the PGA Tour, while Reed is seeking reinstatement for the 2027 season and is currently competing on the DP World Tour.
The pair confirmed their moves with statements on social media. Koepka posted on X: "When I was a child, I always dreamed about competing on the PGA Tour and I am just as excited today to announce that I am returning to the PGA Tour.
"Being closer to home and spending more time with my family makes this opportunity especially meaningful to me.
"I believe in where the PGA Tour is headed with new leadership, new investors, and an equity program that gives players a meaningful ownership stake."
In his post on X, Reed said: "After careful thought and consideration, my family and I have decided that I will no longer compete on the LIV Golf Tour.
"I'm a traditionalist at heart, and I was born to play on the PGA Tour, which is where my story began with my wife, Justine.
"I am moving forward in my career, and I look forward to competing on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. I can't wait to get back out there and revisit some of the best places on earth."
Koepka and Reed finished tied for 12th at the 2026 Masters, while some star names from LIV struggled - with the notable exception of Tyrell Hatton, who was tied-third at 10 under, only two strokes behind champion Rory McIlroy.
How did LIV golfers perform at The Masters?
Five of LIV's field of 10 participants failed to make the cut at Augusta National including, most notably, Bryson DeChambeau, a two-time major champion and five-time winner on LIV.
DeChambeau missed out on the weekend after rounds of 76 and 74, the second of which included a triple-bogey seven on the 18th hole.
John Rahm and Sergio Garcia struggled to make the cut, before finishing tied-38th and 52nd, respectively. Dustin Johnson finished tied-33rd and Charl Schwartzel 54th.
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