LIV Golf CEO Confirms 2026 Plans Despite PIF Withdrawal Reports

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil sent an email to staff affirming that the 2026 season will continue as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle. The email, obtained by ESPN, comes amid reports that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the main backer of LIV Golf, could announce stepping away from the venture as early as Thursday, according to the Financial Times.

The sixth tournament of LIV Golf's 2026 season is scheduled to start Thursday at Club de Golf Chapultepec near Mexico City.

U.S. tournament of the season is planned for May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Saudi Arabia's PIF has invested more than $5 billion in LIV Golf since its inception in 2022. The fund, estimated to be worth $1 trillion, is reassessing priorities amid regional tensions and economic considerations.

Yasir al-Rumayyan, governor of the PIF, told Al Arabiya Business on Wednesday that the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran adds pressure to reposition some priorities. He also confirmed that a 170-kilometer straight-line city envisioned as part of the Neom development is no longer a priority.

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia suspended construction of the Mukaab, a giant cube-shaped structure planned for downtown Riyadh, and shelved plans for a desert ski resort and a large dam for an artificial lake.

Saudi Arabia continues to export oil amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Saudi Arabia's finance minister Mohammed al-Jadaan stated in December that the kingdom had no ego preventing it from reassessing projects, reflecting a broader trend of reevaluation within the kingdom's investment strategy.

“The 2026 season will continue as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.”