Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will pull its financial backing from LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season. CEO Scott O’Neil admitted the league needs a decade to turn a profit. Now, LIV Golf quietly prepares for a possible Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Caleb Surratt hears all the rumors about the league collapsing, and he does not care.

Ever since joining the breakaway league, Surratt has ignored boardroom politics. He built his career by tuning out the noise and focusing strictly on his game. Now, with the league’s future in doubt, he keeps that same priority.

When asked whether a potential return to the PGA Tour was on his radar, Surratt was direct on 5 Clubs: “I honestly do not. I would tell you if I did. But right now my goal is to gain status on the DP World Tour for next year, regardless of if LIV is going great or if it’s struggling. It does not matter. I am happy with where I am at, I am very confident in LIV moving forward, to be honest.”

That confidence comes at a complicated moment. The PIF poured $5 billion to $8 billion into LIV since its 2021 launch. Yet, CEO Scott O’Neil admitted the league needs ten years to break even. He recently confirmed that funding runs out at the end of 2026.

Against that backdrop, the DP World Tour card has become less of a career preference and more of a necessity for LIV players. Other LIV players make the same calculation. Eugenio Chacarra recently spelled out his own priorities. He recently competed in a six-for-one playoff for a U.S. Open alternate spot. However, he walked away mid-playoff to catch a flight to the DP World Tour’s Soudal Open in Belgium

“My goal is to get my PGA Tour card through the DP Tour, and for me to prepare Belgium the right way was to get that flight. When you fly to Europe you lose one day and that was the only chance I had to get there on time to get some rest and practice the course.” Two LIV players, same calculation.

The pathway is clear. LIV players can regain DP World Tour status by paying conflicting-event fines, withdrawing pending appeals, and committing to a minimum of six DP World Tour events per season. Crucially, the top ten finishers on the final Race to Dubai standings earn PGA Tour membership for the following year, making the DPWT card the most direct route to golf’s biggest stage available to any LIV player right now.

Surratt is already working on that plan. He is currently at the Soudal Open at Rinkven International GC, where he shot even par in Round 1. His 2026 LIV season across seven events with Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII has produced 73.2 individual points, with a best finish of T12 at LIV Golf Virginia. He also qualified for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills after surviving a six-for-one sudden-death playoff at the Dallas final qualifier, securing the ninth and final spot. It will be his first major championship appearance.

“I’ve learned a lot this year,” Surratt said. “I know I’m a better player than I was in college, and I think one day this is all going to come full circle, and I’m going to be seeing some of those same guys again in Majors, hopefully soon.” Whether LIV survives or not, Surratt is building a schedule and a game that does not depend on it.

While Surratt plans, bigger names in LIV are far less certain about their futures.

What happens to LIV golf players if the league folds?

If the league goes bankrupt, player contracts become void. This means stars like Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith could return to the PGA Tour. Whether that actually happens is a different question entirely, with each player weighing very different options.

Bryson DeChambeau, LIV’s biggest draw, recently admitted on a podcast that he feels completely lost.

“I’m in that weird space right now,” he said. “I don’t know what to do. Either content creation or professional golf. I don’t know what to do right now.” That is not the voice of someone with a clear plan.

LIV Golf denies the bankruptcy rumors. A spokesperson said the league wants to find a deal that secures its long-term future. They are actively talking to new investors and promise the league has enough money to finish the 2026 season.

But young players like Surratt aren’t waiting for answers. Earning a spot on the DP World Tour guarantees them a place to play, no matter what happens to LIV. That is why the Race to Dubai pathway matters way more to these young guys than any corporate press release.