It’s not a secret that most top analysts in the sport don’t like LIV Golf. And its recent struggles are giving them the opportunity to question the product even more harshly. Eamon Lynch also joined the fray in sharing why he thinks the league failed.

Lynch old Golf Channel’s panel of expterts, “Asking me why it failed to catch on is like asking me to pick one snowflake out of a blizzard. There are a lot of reasons. It was a dumb idea, it was badly executed, odious funding, it had incompetent leadership, unlikable players, no respect for what the fans appreciate or treasure about the game, no values other than cash, trigger-happy on lawsuits, the victim mentality; any one of those things could be compromising the product. Taken together, it’s pretty much fatal.”

Lynch’s comments are no surprise. LIV Golf is now on life support, after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) withdrew from funding the circuit. When the rumors around this development reached a peak, the circuit’s predecessor, the Premier Golf League, sued both parties for stealing its original format. Soon after, it was announced that the PIF would be stepping away from LIV Golf. The move comes after four seasons, which also reflects on their poor execution of the product and business strategy to remain sustainable.

LIV Golf split the fanbase into two. There is still a good chunk of fans who think the league has tainted golf, as it is perceived as an easy avenue for golfers to make some more money. Their reputation took an even bigger hit after 11 golfers, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, sued the PGA Tour for antitrust violations. The latter had suspended these players for ‘defecting’ to the Saudi-backed league.

And what the league is doing now to survive hasn’t impressed Lynch as well.

“Scott O’Neil, their CEO… He’s trying to sell a deck chair on the Titanic by saying you will have a beautiful view of the iceberg. His best-case scenario is a greatly diminished circuit, probably playing for pennies on the dollar, not the $30 million purses. The Saudis have the deepest pockets in sports, and they grew tired of being picked over by washed-up players and drifters. The New Orleans event has been postponed, players are openly looking at the exit, vendors are worried about getting paid.”

Scott O’Neil is believed to be actively looking for investors, as per Joel Beall of No Laying Up. But after PIF pulled the plug, it would be difficult for anyone to trust the product. Especially considering the aging talent of LIV Golf.

The average age of LIV Golf players is nearly 36 years (35 years and 11 months). Some of their captains, namely Mickelson, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood, are all over 50 years of age. With a limited roster and fewer gateways for players to join the league, they don’t leave a good impression on potential investors about their future.

That said, there are other issues LIV Golf is facing right now. And one of them is coming from one of the biggest names on their roster.

Scott O’Neil & Co. is facing issues within the LIV Golf roster

LIV Golf is certainly not having the best year in 2026. Scott O’Neil is already struggling with finding investors to keep the product running. But it will be difficult for him to convince anyone to invest in them, considering how the roster has reacted this year.

Phil Mickelson has been missing from the events for nearly the entire season so far. In the seven tournaments they have had, he has only appeared in one of them. He also skipped the PGA Championship this week, citing a family emergency. Being the captain of HyFlyers GC and one of the biggest promoters of LIV Golf, his absence has had a huge impact on LIV Golf’s value.

Many LIV golfers are planning to come back to the PGA Tour. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed have come back into its fold. Jon Rahm, DeChambeau, and Cam Smith have met the criteria needed to make their returns here. But now that the future of this league is up in the air, players might file out in large numbers. And with the PGA Tour also taking a hard-nosed approach on this, it won’t be a surprise to see some major disappointments down the line, as LIV Golf tries to somehow make it to the end of the season.