The board rooms in Jeddah have gone quiet lately, and not in a good way. For three years, Saudi Arabia’s PIF poured billions into LIV Golf with a promise: stick around, and the money keeps flowing until 2032. That promise broke in April. Now, with investors circling and lawsuits piling up, LIV just lost something it can’t buy back with any check size, its last open door into world golf. The Asian Tour, once its lone bridge to the OWGR system, has walked away to join the PGA Tour and DP World Tour instead, and that leaves the rebel league staring at a future with no easy way in from the outside, and no easy way out of the mess it’s already in.

The Asian Tour’s new partnership with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour cuts off LIV Golf’s only pathway for promotion and relegation, and as Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch points out, worse may follow. The multi-year deal, which runs through at least 2029, closes off the route some Bryson DeChambeau and other LIV players used to earn OWGR points, since the league itself still doesn’t meet the ranking body’s own requirements.

When the OWGR previously allowed LIV Golf, which hosted its first event four years ago, to receive some ranking points, it specifically warned that the situation could change. 

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“OWGR acknowledges that LIV Golf is planning further changes for the 2027 season,” OWGR announced in February about LIV Golf’s application. “As LIV Golf continues to evolve, OWGR will continue to evaluate LIV Golf against OWGR’s eligibility standards, which could result in an increase in points, a decrease in points or removal from the system altogether.”

Now that the Asian Tour is gone, Lynch claims OWGR will probably take another look at LIV’s status. The board recently met at The Open, but its next regular meeting isn’t until December. However, if LIV announces concrete plans for 2027 before then, the board could hold a special meeting to discuss the issue. However, securing the funding is proving to be much more difficult for the rebel league.

Saudi Arabia’s PIF, which was supposed to fund LIV Golf until 2032, pulled its funding in April, leaving the breakaway league to search for new investors to remain afloat in 2027. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil has been pitching potential investors, seeking between $250 million and $350 million, but the company has yet to secure funding, with September 1 as the deadline. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. LIV also faces two major lawsuits.

LIV Golf faces serious lawsuits amid concerns about the future

LIV Golf is facing legal challenges as questions continue to surround the breakaway league’s future. Canadian technology company Mobii Systems Group Ltd. has sued LIV Golf for more than $1 million, alleging the league failed to pay around $820,600 in licensing fees and about $104,500 in usage fees. The company is also seeking approximately $209,531 in lost revenue after LIV allegedly ended a two-year agreement early.

The lawsuit comes at a difficult time for LIV Golf. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which invested more than $5 billion into the league, announced in April that it would no longer fund the circuit. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil is reportedly attempting to raise $300 million to keep the league operating beyond the 2026 season.

In a separate and potentially more costly legal battle, the World Golf Group (WGG) and Premier Golf League (PGL) are seeking between $210 million and $630 million in damages from LIV Golf, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and other defendants. The companies allege that LIV used their confidential information and intellectual property to launch its league. 

The complaint claims LIV is a “bald facsimile of the PGL.” It pointed to similarities in its format, team structure, and competitions. However, the allegations have not been proven in court. 

LIV’s OWGR standing is back on the table now that the Asian Tour route is gone, and it’s happening while the league is still scrambling to close a funding deal and fend off two lawsuits. That’s a lot to handle at once. If OWGR points don’t come through, top players could slide further out of major championship contention, and that alone might be enough to push them off LIV for good.