LIV Golf’s path to a proposed 2027 reset has started with a retreat. Days after its shortened season ended in Indianapolis, the breakaway circuit informed employees that it would scale back operations and lay off a significant portion of its staff in September. But with LIV 2.0 still taking shape, the cuts may only be the first sign of how dramatically the league will need to change.
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One of LIV Golf’s spokespeople said in a statement that the league remains optimistic about its future funding and hopes to rehire some of the employees who were let go if LIV 2.0 successfully gets off the ground. However, the layoffs did not come as a complete surprise to employees, as they had been notified in July about potential future actions, in accordance with labor guidelines in the U.S. and U.K.
“We are grateful to our employees for their hard work and dedication in building LIV Golf, and we remain committed to supporting those affected through this transition,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
However, the spokesperson did not reveal exactly how many employees were let go. And obviously, not everyone was fired, as the league will need some of its workforce to help with the transition and push the breakaway tour toward its next chapter. At the time of writing, there is still no definitive word on how large LIV Golf’s workforce will need to be under its new model.
Yet, if you think about it, the layoffs were somewhat expected. Under a restructured calendar reducing events, LIV Golf is projected to cut prize money to approximately $10 million per tournament from previous highs of $30 million. These changes follow reports of a new lead investor for the league.
Although the details of the deal and the investor’s identity have not been officially disclosed, the lead investor has reportedly signed a term sheet worth at least $250 million for the 2027 season. According to Sports Business Journal, that investor is none other than Ted Goldthorpe of London-based BC Partners.
In any case, LIV Golf had already been forced to cancel multiple events. First came the New Orleans tournament, followed by the original season-ending Team Championship in Michigan. Those cancellations were early signs that the breakaway league was already facing financial and operational pressure.
Adding to its troubles, Front Office Sports previously reported that LIV Golf had failed to pay some of its contractors and vendors. Two of them, Fresh Tape Media and Mobii Systems Group Ltd., have already filed lawsuits against the league over alleged non-payment. Not to mention, LIV Golf is also facing other legal challenges.
On top of that, the league lost its partnership with the Asian Tour after the latter signed a deal with the PGA Tour, dealing another significant blow to the breakaway circuit. Clearly, LIV Golf has plenty of baggage to deal with as it prepares to use the reported $250 million in funding to fuel the 2027 season.
LIV Golf’s current uncertainty reportedly began when PIF decided it would stop supporting the circuit after the 2026 season. Skratch reported on August 24 that LIV CEO Scott O’Neil got a stark message from one of PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s lieutenants in the same week the fund revealed a new five-year plan without LIV Golf included.
“Shut it down. You’re not getting another dollar,” Al-Rumayyan’s lieutenant reportedly told O’Neil.
Skratch further reported that Al-Rumayyan had not spoken with O’Neil for two months before the funding decision. That report came after the Financial Times said Sergio Garcia allegedly embarrassed Al-Rumayyan by smashing his driver during the final round of the 2026 Masters, an episode that may have influenced PIF’s decision to step away from LIV Golf.
No matter what triggered the withdrawal, LIV players now have a major call to make: stay and buy into the league’s proposed reset, or look toward a possible PGA Tour return. Still, the PGA Tour does not currently offer a Returning Member Program similar to the one that allowed Brooks Koepka to return, so leaving LIV may not be simple.
However, LIV’s new model is expected to give players the opportunity to own equity in the league, with CEO Scott O’Neil describing a plan for a player-majority ownership structure. The overhaul follows Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s April announcement that it would end funding for LIV Golf after the 2026 season.
Having said that, it appears LIV Golf is taking every possible measure to ensure the tour does not become extinct in the coming years. Whether those efforts will be enough, however, remains to be seen given the difficult position the league currently finds itself in.