LIV Golf is not building a league; it is rebuilding one, under a second CEO, with a second set of executives, with Saudi money that keeps coming. But one thing is clear: every executive Greg Norman hired is walking out the door, and LIV refuses to explain why. The latest exit only makes it harder to ignore.

COO Lawrence Burian has left LIV Golf, per an SBJ exclusive broken by reporter Josh Carpenter. Burian, a former senior executive at Madison Square Garden, was brought in by Greg Norman in October 2023 and exited without any public statement and without any indication that LIV plans to fill the COO role.

Scott O’Neil, the current CEO, has handed operational control to Chris Heck, his longtime colleague. Heck was brought in as president of business operations last year. Burian is not the first to leave. The exits go beyond one reshuffle.

Earlier in 2026, James Watson, SVP of Worldwide Production, left after four years. He was behind the league’s broadcast innovations. He introduced things like drone tracing, the LIV Line, and Any Shot Any Time. Now, those features are on CBS and NBC.

Creative Director Will Newell and lead producer Keith Hirshland also left around the same time. Ever Wonder Studio now runs the league’s telecast production. The original production team is gone. The infrastructure that built LIV’s visual identity has been handed over.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

O’Neil did not just inherit a list of executives from Norman. He inherited a culture built on disruption and noise. The idea was simple: money could beat the establishment. O’Neil is replacing that with a more traditional, business-first approach. But as more executives leave, the transition is not as smooth as LIV claims.

Norman was replaced as CEO in January 2025, but he officially left LIV in September that year. He expressed gratitude and pride for what he was able to build at LIV for fans and golfers.

“It’s been an incredible chapter, and I’m so proud of what we accomplished. My commitment to do what was and still is the right thing for golf, the players, and fans never waivered,” he wrote in September 2025.

LIV Golf spent about $100 million a month in 2024 and 2025. All of it came from PIF, not from league revenue. The spending does not slow down when leaders leave. It keeps going, month after month, no matter who is the COO or who is not.

The $5.3 billion question LIV Golf still cannot answer

The financial picture here is clear. In February 2026, PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan signed off on a $266.6 million capital injection, which took total Saudi investment in LIV Golf over $5.3 billion. It is expected to cross $6 billion before the year ends.

Despite this, LIV Golf Ltd., registered in the UK, has reported losses of more than $1.1 billion from 2021 to 2024. In 2024 alone, the league lost $461.8 million while bringing in just $64.9 million in revenue.

O’Neil has called 2026 a key year for the league. The 72-hole format, expanded wild-card spots, and OWGR recognition are all being presented as progress. But O’Neil has also admitted to the Financial Times that profitability is still five to ten years away.

For US golf fans watching the rivalry with the PGA Tour, Burian’s exit is not just about one executive moving on. It is a sign of something deeper. The product in the course is changing, with new formats and OWGR points, and is trying to become more competitive. Off the course, the league is still unstable. Leadership changes keep happening, and even Saudi funding has not been able to stop that.