LIV Golf Officially On Life Support After Saudi Arabia Blow

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Apr 29, 2026 4:57 PM ET

It's fair to say LIV Golf's days are officially numbered.

Just two weeks ago, there were rumblings about Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund ending its financial partnership with LIV Golf. Although fans assumed that would lead to the tour shutting down immediately, LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil said the 2026 season will go on as planned.

Judging by the latest report though, LIV Golf won't have a 2027 season.

The Wall Street Journal just reported the PIF will officially stop funding LIV Golf. That means the circuit has to scramble to figure out how it can afford to operate past the 2026 season.

"LIV plans to tell players and staff by Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will no longer bankroll the circuit after this season, according to people familiar with the matter," Andrew Beaton wrote. "The move sounds the death knell for the upstart that sowed chaos in professional golf by plowing billions into the sport and poaching A-list players."

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Would any LIV Golf stars return to the PGA Tour?

According to Trey Wingo, there's a good chance the PGA Tour would welcome back two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and former Masters champion Jon Rahm.

“I don’t think the PGA Tour cares about 54 or 52 of the 56 LIV golfers or how many there are. They care about two for sure, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau,” Wingo told Awful Announcing’s Brandon Contes. “I think those are the two that, that they’ll find a way back like they did for (Brooks Koepka), because he’s a five-time major winner. But the rest of them, I think they might say, ‘Congratulations, Taylor Gooch, I’m glad you got your money. You won’t see us again unless you go through the hardest way possible to earn your tour card like everybody else.'”

The odds of Phil Mickelson returning to the PGA Tour, meanwhile, are incredibly slim.

“I can promise you one person that you’ll never see in any way in an official capacity with the PGA Tour is Phil Mickelson. That bridge has been burned, detonated, destroyed, nuked, lasered to death. There is no building that bridge back.”

We've already seen Brooks Koepka return to the PGA Tour after a stint with LIV Golf. It'll be interesting to see which golfers follow his path.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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