[Photo: Jason Butler]
Amid a new lawsuit and reports that players have not received recent winnings, LIV Golf has slashed the purse for its season finale.
According to LIV’s media hub, the prizemoney for this week’s event outside Indianapolis has been cut nearly in half. LIV Bedminster offered a $US20 million individual purse, including $US4 million to the winner. At The Club at Chatham Hills, players will compete for $US10.1 million, with the champion receiving $US2 million.
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The reduction comes after Sports Business Journal reported on Tuesday that several players had yet to be paid for their performances at Bedminster earlier this month. Multiple vendors and contractors have also complained of outstanding payments. One vendor, Mobii, which powered LIV’s “Any Shot, Any Time” broadcast feature, is suing the league for more than $US1 million in unpaid fees. On Tuesday, Front Office Sports reported that Fresh Tape Media, which helped with LIV’s preseason shoots, is suing for $US1.2 million in unpaid dues and interest.
Indianapolis was originally scheduled as the penultimate event on LIV’s calendar. The league announced yesterday that its planned finale in Michigan had been cancelled, making this week’s tournament the final stop of the season. LIV officials had previously maintained that the league possessed enough funding to complete the year.
The financial uncertainty traces to April, when Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund abruptly withdrew its support. Yasir Al-Rumayyan – the PIF governor, architect of LIV Golf and then-chairman of the league’s board – stepped down at the same time. PIF had unveiled its strategy for 2026 to 2030, signalling a shift towards domestic priorities as the kingdom confronts mounting commitments tied to World Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The war with Iran added to those pressures, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz cutting Saudi oil exports nearly in half. LIV was conspicuously absent from PIF’s stated plans. By then, the fund was believed to have poured between $US6 billion and $US8 billion into the league.
Since PIF’s withdrawal, LIV chief executive Scott O’Neil has sought between $US250 million and $US350 million to sustain operations, telling prospective investors the league could become profitable within three years. Earlier this month, O’Neil announced that LIV had secured a “lead investor”, though the league declined to identify the entity. Significant questions remain: whether the financing is actually a loan, whether it depends on additional investors joining and whether it is contingent upon a certain number of players remaining under contract.
LIV has already warned that bankruptcy is possible. The league is also defending a lawsuit from the Premier Golf League, which accuses LIV of breach of confidence and conspiracy to use unlawful means. Another report this month indicated LIV officials are “resigned” to Jon Rahm leaving at the end of the year. Multiple managers for LIV players have reached out to the PGA Tour in the past several months, attempting to find pathways for their players to return.
O’Neil was scheduled to address the league’s future during a press conference overnight (Australian time) in Indianapolis.
