Once a powerful force in professional golf, LIV Golf now finds itself in perhaps its most uncertain position yet. In April 2026, Saudi Arabia’s PIF, which financed the league’s launch, pulled the plug on its funding of the breakaway tour, leaving LIV scrambling to secure a financial lifeline for 2027. However, as LIV Golf Indianapolis unfolds at The Club at Chatham Hills, a new Financial Times report has revealed that Spanish star Sergio Garcia played a role in PIF’s decision. 

“In April, as LIV golfers floundered at the Masters, golf’s most prestigious tournament, Spanish star Sergio Garcia damaged the Augusta National course during a fit of rage in the final round,” the report said.

“People familiar with the matter say [Yasir Al-]Rumayyan’s embarrassment at the sequence of events helped lead to his decision to pull the plug on PIF’s financing of the rival tour, as the fund focuses more on its huge domestic commitments in the kingdom.”

To give you a recap, Garcia joined LIV in 2022 and just 4 years later, he had a meltdown of epic proportions that’s now being alleged as the catalyst for LIV’s collapse. Here’s the entire timeline.

What Did Garcia Do that Upset LIV’s Backers?

During the final round of the Masters Tournament, Sergio Garcia lost his cool after hitting into the bunker on the par-5 second hole. He slammed his driver on the turf twice before smashing it against a cooler stand. Already bogeying the first, the 46-year-old repeatedly slammed his driver into the pristine tee box, tearing out chunks of turf, then swung it at a nearby cooler stand, which snapped the clubhead off the shaft.

Officials issued a code-of-conduct warning to Garcia two holes later. Of course, under the rules, he could not replace the abused club and finished the round without a driver, carding a 75 to end the tournament at 8-over. He later apologized publicly, calling the outburst regrettable and out of place at the Masters.

“Obviously, not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens,” he said. But despite his apology, LIV’s former chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was embarrassed by the incident. After all, the club where Garcia threw a fit was a prestigious one.

Why Garcia’s Outburst at Augusta Was a Big Deal?

The Augusta National Golf Club has hosted every Masters Tournament dating back to the first one in 1934. It’s one of the most prestigious clubs, where fans are called patrons, and rules are so strict that even using cell phones is prohibited, for the patrons to soak in every second of the club’s beauty and ambience.

Even membership at Augusta National can take place through an invite-only process, and spots are limited. Several reports back in 2023 cited that PIF wanted Yasir Al-Rumayyan to be considered for Augusta and R&A membership.

Amid this, in April 2026, when the LIV-PIF split rumors first swirled, Garcia declined them saying, “Honestly, we haven’t heard anything other than what Yasir told us at the beginning of the year…That he’s behind us, that they have a long-term project. And well, honestly, you know how these rumours are.”

But shortly after, PIF pulled its investment, following which Rumayyan stepped down from his role. However, at the time of writing, PIF or any of its representatives has not responded to the claims made by the Financial Times. The revelation comes as Garcia himself competes in the breakaway league’s last tournament, LIV Indianapolis.

So What’s Next?

Just days ago, LIV confirmed the cancellation of its season-ending Team Championship event in Michigan after months of speculation. Thus, LIV made Indianapolis the last tournament of the 2026 season, with both the individual and team champions being crowned at the event.

The event is being held when contractors and vendors have accused LIV of not paying them. Further, Fresh Tape Media and Mobii Systems Group Limited have sued the league over alleged unpaid bills.

However, despite these issues, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil has assured that the tour has found new investors to keep it afloat in 2027. Details about the partnership and the identities of the new investors remain under wraps. O’Neil claimed that the lead investor signed a term sheet approved by the board. Final terms shall be finalized in the coming weeks, with the transaction targeted to close in September.

LIV Golf has also reported strong interest from more than a dozen additional parties seeking to join as minority stakeholders under a new multi-partner ownership model. The restructured league intends to transition to a model in which players hold significant equity positions in the competition.