Since the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it would withdraw its investment by the end of the 2026 season, no new investor has stepped in to help LIV Golf. But the league need not worry as its players are now stepping up to help save it and keep it alive themselves.

And LIV CEO Scott O’Neil had already prepared for this situation. He had laid out the plan earlier on May 5. “We are going to create a business plan. We’re going to lock arms with the players. We will go to market and raise money on the top, on a league level, and then we will go and get investors in teams, in that order,” he had said, per SI.

Several LIV players, including those who joined the league recently, have approached LIV’s new board with the names of individuals they personally know who may be interested in investing. Bryson DeChambeau, arguably the most recognizable face in LIV, even told O’Neil that he wants to sit in an actual investor meeting. O’Neil’s response was reportedly pretty straightforward.

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01/10

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4567

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“Bryson is a more pro-LIV than I am.”

Pitching the plan to the investors was not just a vague plea for money. It came with actual numbers and timelines. Before going public with the plan, O’Neil briefed Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau on specifics. Rahm admitted players will probably have to give up something—prize money or contract terms—for any new deal to work.

The players investing in the league now bring a major structural change. Outside investors would not be the only ones getting a share of ownership. The players themselves, along with LIV’s management, would also get equity, meaning an actual stake in the league. So the players who are out there right now making calls and bringing in investor leads are not just doing it to protect their paychecks. If they work, they could end up owning a piece of whatever becomes next.

Amidst the chaos, Bloomberg reported this week that LIV is also preparing a backup plan, a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the United States. In fact, LIV is now looking to move its headquarters to America. The American bankruptcy laws are more favorable for restructuring. However, LIV neither confirmed nor denied it.

But the clock is ticking, and LIV’s backup plan is already in motion.

The league’s two biggest stars are sending very different signals

The two players LIV is backing the most right now are handling this crisis in opposite ways. LIV is reportedly paying Jon Rahm $300 million, a sum he will receive at least until 2028, just for his participation. He has also essentially accepted that he’s not going anywhere, whether he likes it or not. He said it himself. His contract is airtight, and he does not see a way out. When someone asked him at the PGA Championship this week whether playing well might help LIV bring in new investors, he shut it down immediately.

“I’m thinking more about myself,” he said.

And then there is the player who has taken an active participation in the investors’ meeting, Bryson DeChambeau. His contract runs out at the end of this year, which technically makes him free, but he seems just as lost. After missing cuts at both majors, DeChambeau revealed doubts about his future in professional golf.

“I’m in that weird space right now. I don’t know what to do. Content creation or professional golf. I don’t know what to do right now.”

His YouTube audience and fans have sharply disagreed with his stance. They’ve sharply pointed out that his professional experience in the course is the spine of his content; without it, he may not be relevant.

He currently has over 2.7 million subscribers and earns an estimated $66,000 a month. Walking away from professional golf is a financially viable option he’s now weighing.

All in all, with new updates flowing in everyday, the final results are awaited.