Amid speculation about LIV Golf’s future, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp open to new pathways for players to return
Rumors erupted last week about a potential LIV Golf shutdown, though the league is apparently funded at least through the end of the 2026 season.
New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp is watching the rumors and speculation surrounding LIV Golf like the rest of the golf world. While the Tour will consider new avenues for players to return from the Saudi Arabian-backed circuit, a topic that has been circulating again in recent days after reports that LIV Golf was about to have its funding pulled and shut down, Rolapp doesn’t seem to be in a rush to get anything done on that front. “We’re all reading the same headlines you’re reading.
We don’t know what’s going on over there,” Rolapp said on ESPN on Monday. “We know those guys are under contract. We’ll respect that.
” Rumors erupted last week that LIV Golf was in danger of losing its financial backer, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and potentially facing a shutdown. The league’s Mexico City tournament ended up taking place without issue, and LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said that the league is “funded through the [2026] season. ” O’Neil’s comments came during a TV interview that was later deleted on social media, however, and there are now significant questions about the league’s long-term viability.
The PIF has poured billions into LIV Golf to try and make the startup a legitimate competitor to the PGA Tour since it started in 2022. But the PIF appears to be reconsidering its strategy funding sports-related endeavors. Questions about LIV Golf’s future aren’t likely to go away anytime soon.