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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ewan Murray

LIV Golf races against time for investment with confirmation Saudi funding will end in 2026

Jon Rahm lines up a putt at LIV Golf Mexico
Jon Rahm may be among players facing steep costs to return to the traditional tours if LIV Golf is unable to secure its future beyond 2026. Photograph: Eloisa Sanchez/Reuters

LIV Golf’s race to secure at least a watered-down future is formally under way after Saudi Arabia’s ­Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed it will cease to fund the breakaway ­circuit at the end of this year. Fears over LIV’s existence are inescapable given the PIF has bestowed in excess of $5bn on the tour since 2021. Tournaments started in the following year; there is a very real chance the 2026 season will prove LIV’s last.

LIV had already confirmed appointment of new board ­members, aimed with the specific task of ­raising finance, by the time the PIF stipulated its position on Thursday. “PIF has made the decision to fund LIV Golf only for the remainder of the 2026 season,” read a statement. “The substantial investment required by LIV Golf over a longer term is no longer consistent with the current phase of PIF’s investment strategy. This decision has been made in light of PIF’s investment priorities and ­current macro dynamics.

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