Not far into September of 2026, LIV Golf filed for bankruptcy and sent waves throughout the professional golf industry. LIV Golf is a men’s professional golf league based out of Saudi Arabia. Launched in 2021, the league was created as a big, bold, and new competitor to the traditional PGA tour. With a lot of Saudi influence and money from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sport was shocked as suddenly elite, high-profile players signed contracts with the new league. Players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and so many more stars joined the league. Now these players could be in deep water after ditching the PGA Tour for high value contracts at LIV Golf.
But where did this mysterious league come from and how does it suddenly afford some of the most prestigious players in the world? LIV Golf came about in 2021 and officially launched in 2022 as a direct competitor to the PGA Tour, led by Greg Norman who sought to offer a unique and different formatted experience. The LIV format features faster-paced team play and massive cash payouts for the players, a big difference from traditional PGA tournaments. But how did the league have so much money from the beginning? The league was funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund as a part of a 2030 vision to reduce the nation’s overall reliance on oil revenue. People also argue that the Saudi government wanted to deepen its ties in western entertainment and sport as a way to boost public image and tourism.
To nobody’s surprise when players suddenly dropped everything for massive contracts from LIV Golf, you can imagine that PGA Tour officials were pretty upset. In response, the PGA Tour issued immediate suspensions, cut ties, and held hard restrictions for any players who would eventually seek return. Hingham Golf captain Sebby Arata when asked about players leaving the PGA tour mentioned that, “I couldn’t believe players were actually leaving the PGA, I could see Bryson DeChambeau leaving but not everyone else.” Players chose money and risky opportunities over loyalty to their own league, and the PGA punished this disloyalty by burning all bridges as some top players left for their new rival.
On September 8th 2026 LIV Golf filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and all of its funding was put to a halt. The exciting new league that promised immense revenue for players and an exciting brand new style of golf has ended up a failure, but how did it get here? The Saudi PIF originally funded the league in hopes of a new revenue stream, but as billions of dollars of losses piled up they had no choice but to accept the failure. To no ones surprise, most of this money was spent and lost on stealing star players from the PGA. When signing TV contracts it turned out to be another massive failure, bringing in just 5% of their total income as their audience chose the PGA over them. With massive layoffs of up to 90% of the company’s staff, the league had no choice but to file for bankruptcy. Hingham Golf Captain Liam Jordan said, “I was not surprised at all when I heard the league was a total failure. I kind of feel bad for the players though, but it is their fault”.
In the end, the players that brought the league all of its fame and glory might not get out as much as they hoped to. When filing chapter 11 bankruptcy, LIV Golf effectively voids all contracts and obligations to pay these same players. In total, the league owes over 45 million dollars to its roster. The question in the air now is what next? Will these players somehow find a way back to the PGA Tour? Or will there be another league to emerge from the dust of LIV Golf. Crazy enough, the second option might be a reality. With help from London private equity, BC Partners, a LIV Golf 2.0 might be in the works with a new “player first” model. But as more and more information unfolds each day about this disappointing failure, LIV Golf and its players futures are yet to become anything promising.
