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.
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“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.”
Here’s the timeline. During the final round of the Masters Tournament, Sergio Garcia suffered a meltdown 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. Despite his apology, LIV’s former chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was embarrassed by the incident.
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.
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.