LIV Golf reaches agreement with new 'lead investor'

The agreement with LIV Golf's new investor is set to be finalised in September; as part of a restructuring, players will become majority equity holders in the league and a new season structure will be implemented that will include 'Five Team Majors'

>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.

>Sky Sports News understands the deal is set to be finalised this month.

>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.

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>The season schedule would also include five global "Team Majors" staged across different continents.

>The PIF's decision to withdraw funding from the league in April cast doubt over LIV Golf's future.

>Following a board restructuring, LIV later announced that it was seeking new "long-term financial partners".

>But LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil has told Sky Sports News that along with the new investor, the league is building a new 'multi-partner model' as it looks to secure its longevity going forward.

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>"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.

>"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.

>"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."

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>O'Neil added the league hopes to enter into the transaction with the new lead investor in September, and called the announcement "good news."

>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".

>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".

>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.

>"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.

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>Questions have been mounting over whether DeChambeau would commit to playing on the breakaway league for another season.

>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.

>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).

>Amid LIV's funding crisis, fulfilling that fee seemed unlikely.

>But with a new investor, O'Neil seemed optimistic about the league's chances of pinning down their big stars like Rahm and DeChambeau.

>He explained that the league was looking to move to an "era of free agency" in which LIV would "work together" with other tours.

>"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.

>"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."

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