LIV Golf reaches agreement with new 'lead investor

LIV Golf has reached an agreement with a new unnamed investor after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced in April it was ending funding to the breakaway league at the end of 2026. <p><em>Sky Sports News</em> understands the deal is set to be finalised this month.</p><p>As part of the arrangement, players will also own a majority equity stake in the league, with the season set to be hosted around 10 annual team events.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.skysports.com/golf/leaderboard"><strong>All the latest golf leaderboards</strong></a> | <a href="https://www.skysports.com/watch/golf-on-sky"><strong>Live golf on Sky Sports this week</strong></a></li><li><a href="https://www.skysports.com/golf/news/12176/11933264/sky-sports-golf-podcast"><strong>Listen to the Sky Sports Golf Podcast</strong></a></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.sky.com/tv/sports?dcmp=Ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink">Get Sky Sports</a> or <a href="http://www.nowtv.com/membership/watch-sky-sports?DCMP=ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink">stream golf with no contract</a></strong></li></ul><widget id="3"></widget><p>The season schedule would also include five global "Team Majors" staged across different continents.</p><p>The PIF's decision to withdraw funding from the league in April cast doubt over LIV Golf's future.</p><p>Following a board restructuring, LIV later announced that it was seeking new "long-term financial partners".</p><p>But LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil has told <em>Sky Sports News </em>that along with the new investor, the league is building a new 'multi-partner model' as it looks to secure its longevity going forward.</p> <widget id="4"></widget><p>"LIV Golf has an agreement in place with a lead investor, signed by the investor and approved by the Board, to anchor the transaction and play a key role in supporting the path forward for the League's next era, driven by and for the players," O'Neil said.</p><p>"We're also seeing strong interest from more than a dozen additional parties to potentially serve as minority investors, creating a multi-partner model built for long-term stability and growth.</p><p>"Our next chapter will make our players the majority equity holders in LIV Golf, a first for a major global sports league, and gives the league the foundation to keep growing the game worldwide."</p> <widget id="6"></widget><p>O'Neil added the league hopes to enter into the transaction with the new lead investor in September, and called the announcement "good news."</p><p>In a press conference ahead of LIV Golf New York this week, O'Neil added the players were made aware of the new deal on Tuesday and there was "good excitement".</p><p>It came as Bryson DeChambeau led a player's-only meeting at Trump Bedminster on Tuesday. O'Neil was not invited to the meeting but said the players held "robust conversations" which he added have had a "positive impact".</p><p>The CEO is remaining tight-lipped on the details of the new arrangement, but explained he was grateful to the PIF for giving LIV Golf time to look for new investors.</p><p>"I have a lot of appreciation for them allowing us this time to go and find investment, and it's not something they had to do," O'Neil said.</p><h2>Will the investment help LIV Golf keep DeChambeau and Rahm?</h2> <widget id="5"></widget><p>Questions have been mounting over whether <a href="https://www.skysports.com/golf/news/12176/13535404/bryson-dechambeau-hopeful-new-liv-golf-contract-can-be-reached-amid-speculation-over-breakaway-leagues-finances">DeChambeau would commit to playing on the breakaway</a> league for another season.</p><p>The American's deal will expire at the conclusion of the 2026 season, and the two-time US Open champion was optimistic that a new contract could be reached.</p><p>He, along with Jon Rahm, are two of the biggest stars on the LIV circuit, with DeChambeau understood to be looking for a new deal worth around $500m (£370.5m).</p><p>Amid LIV's funding crisis, fulfilling that fee seemed unlikely.</p><p>But with a new investor, O'Neil seemed optimistic about the league's chances of pinning down their big stars like Rahm and DeChambeau.</p><p>He explained that the league was looking to move to an "era of free agency" in which LIV would "work together" with other tours.</p><p>"I would certainly love them to come along for the ride and journey because they carry maybe more weight than anybody in the game and I have a lot of time for that," O'Neil said.</p><p>"I think we have enough support from enough players, and we have such an interesting format and global format, I think we'll do quite well in getting the right stars for this game."</p> <widget id="7"></widget>