LIV Golf informed the majority of its workforce that they will be laid off in the first week of September, according to The Guardian. The sweeping cuts arrive three days after the conclusion of the 2026 season in Indianapolis, and four months after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced it was ending its financial support for the league following an expenditure of more than $5 billion over the previous five years.
Mass Layoffs Announced as Saudi Funding Ends
The announcement followed prior warnings of potential layoffs issued to workers in the United States and the United Kingdom. Previously home to over 300 staff globally, the organization was forced to reduce staffing levels as funding concluded, though executives remain hopeful that some employees could return if a new iteration materializes according to Sky Sports.
In an official statement, a league spokesperson addressed the workforce reduction: The funding commitment announced by PIF earlier this year will reach its conclusion. As a result, we are scaling back operations as we transition to the next chapter of LIV Golf and work toward making LIV 2.0 a reality.
Uncertain Future and Financial Strain
The league faces a precarious operational environment marked by several disruptions. The season-ending team championship scheduled in Michigan was canceled, forcing the season to finish a week early. Additionally, the prize purse for the Indianapolis event was slashed nearly in half, multiple vendors are still awaiting payments, and the potential for bankruptcy looms large.
Chief Executive Scott O’Neil, who replaced Greg Norman in early 2025, vowed to address outstanding financial obligations by stating he will do right by
the vendors and contractors who have sued the league over missed payments. O’Neil acknowledged that operations under LIV 1.0 are concluding while management attempts to secure fresh capital.
Negotiations for LIV 2.0 and Investor Talks
O’Neil is currently working to finalize a transaction with a new lead investor to fund a re-imagined LIV 2.0. Ted Goldthorpe, the head of the investment firm BC Partners, is reported to be the prospective lead investor who has agreed to a term sheet with the league. However, discussions with prospective lead and minority investors involve a non-binding term sheet that has not yet been finalized.
O’Neil noted that the organization is operating under a very compressed timeline
to complete the deal, which requires buy-in from a majority of the current player roster. The whole focus is on transaction, transaction, transaction,
O’Neil said, as reported by AOL. We’re spending all our time thinking about how we best land this plane and have it landed so we can take off again.
Proposed 2027 Schedule and Restructuring
Proposals for the restructured league include making the organization majority-owned by its players with a stronger focus on commercial discipline. The projected vision for the 2027 season targets 10 total events, split evenly between five tournaments in the United States and five international markets, or alternatively structured around five Team Championships across five continents and five Signature Events staged around major championships.
Leadership has reportedly been seeking an investment between $250 million and $350 million, with a strategic goal of reaching profitability within three years.
