LIV GOLF TO CONTINUE AT ‘FULL THROTTLE’ AMID SPECULATION OVER SAUDI WITHDRAWAL

LIV Golf reportedly intends to continue “uninterrupted and at full throttle” amid ongoing speculation over a withdrawal of its Saudi Arabian backers.

The breakaway league launched in 2021 and sent shockwaves through the sport, positioning itself as a rival to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

LIV attracted some of golf’s biggest names, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, before leading European players such as Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton also joined.

Rumours over its future began to swirl this week, with the Financial Times reporting that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) was close to cutting its backing and the Telegraph suggesting executives had been called to an “emergency meeting” in New York.

LIV chief executive Scott O’Neill has reportedly responded by sending an email to staff, reaffirming the league’s position.

“I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle,” O’Neill said in the email, according to ESPN.

“While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass. We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organization that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before.”

LIV’s Mexico City event is taking place over the coming days at Club de Golf Chapultepec. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the event, Sergio Garcia said: “Honestly, we haven’t heard anything other than what Yasir (Al-Rumayyan, LIV Golf chairman) told us at the beginning of the year.

“That he’s behind us, that they have a long-term project. And well, honestly, you know how these rumours are. There are always a lot of them. And I can’t tell you anything more than what we already know.”

When contacted by the Press Association, LIV reiterated that executives are focused on this week’s event in Mexico.

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka quit LIV earlier this year to return to the PGA Tour, while former Masters champion Patrick Reed also walked away and is competing on the DP World Tour as he bids to return to the PGA Tour.

LIV’s emergence sparked a fierce divide in the game. European Ryder Cup stalwarts Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood effectively ended their participation in the biennial event by joining the Saudi-backed league as the PGA and DP World Tour imposed sanctions on players who defected.

Hatton and Rahm were able to play in last year’s Ryder Cup win in New York as their appeal process was pushed back. Hatton settled his dispute with the DP World Tour in February to secure his Ryder Cup future but Rahm has yet to reach a deal and is, as things stand, ineligible for next year’s contest at Adare Manor.