Strained smiles and uncertainty - the strange end of LIV Golf 1.0
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund withdrew funding for LIV Golf after spending more than $5bn (£3.6bn), forcing the cancellation of the season-ending team event in Michigan and an abbreviated 2026 season.
- Ted Goldthorpe, head of BC Partners' credit division, has emerged as the prospective investor for a restructured 'LIV 2.0,' meeting all 57 players in Indianapolis and described by one insider simply as 'TG.'
- Scott O'Neil, LIV Golf CEO, expressed confidence about closing a deal and retaining 'critical mass' of players, but acknowledged the process would be difficult, with work moving at 'breakneck speed.'
- LIV 2.0 would feature a reduced 10-event schedule across five continents, franchise sales, player equity, and returned Name Image Likeness rights, with prize money at Indianapolis already roughly half of previous events.
- Senior LIV figures privately described the atmosphere as being at 'the hospice, not the funeral,' with one calling the week the 'last hurrah' and another remarking 'it's darkest before dawn.'
- Players including Graeme McDowell, Cameron Smith, and Bryson DeChambeau expressed uncertainty about their futures; Brendan Steele was the only player to publicly commit to staying with LIV.
- LIV's attendance figures cited strong fan engagement: Adelaide attracted a record 115,000 fans (Australia's highest-attended golf event), South Africa drew 100,000, and the UK event drew 50,000, with 30% of attendees new to professional golf.
Why it matters: The end of Saudi funding after roughly $5bn in losses forces LIV into a financially disciplined restart under BC Partners' Goldthorpe, who must sign enough of the league's 57 players to a reduced 10-event schedule before the league can credibly continue. For veterans like McDowell weighing a European Tour return and stars like Smith deciding whether to commit, the next few weeks of negotiations will determine whether LIV remains a viable career path or quietly folds.
Ask SkimNews
