Sports

Saudi Arabia to Pull LIV Golf Funding After 2026

Is this a failed experiment that's finally collapsing or a disruptive force that must now set out on its own?

Published APR 30

Saudi Arabia to Pull LIV Golf Funding After 2026

Story

Above: Golfer Jon Rahm during day four of the LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf on April 19. Image credit: Hector Vivas/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

LIV Golf is finished as a serious competitor to the PGA Tour, and Saudi funding drying up after 2026 exposes what was always true — the league never had a real business model, just a blank check. Ratings were comically low throughout its four-year run, and the only reason top players signed was for grotesquely inflated contracts. Now those players face steep suspensions and tough qualifying hurdles to get back on Tour, and the PGA Tour isn't rolling out the welcome mat.

MyGolfSpy FOX News

Narrative B

LIV Golf isn't dead yet, having already mapped out its 2027 events and actively pursuing new investment to keep the league running. Successful tournaments in Australia and South Africa proved that real demand exists for professional golf outside the U.S. market. With this move from Saudi Arabia, the league, which pushed purses higher across professional golf and earned global ranking points, must now set out on its own to continue revolutionizing the sport worldwide.

Fried Egg Golf USA Today