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BumRushDaShow

(171,385 posts)
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 05:00 AM Yesterday

WSJ: LIV Golf to tell players and staff by Thursday that tour will lose Saudi funding at end of season

Source: CNN Sports

Updated Apr 29, 2026, 5:09 PM ET
PUBLISHED Apr 29, 2026, 4:55 PM ET


LIV Golf is facing an existential threat, as its Saudi backers are expected to pull funding from the league as early as Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The Saudi-backed circuit aimed to rival the PGA Tour as the world’s preeminent destination for pro golf by luring some of the game’s top names with huge sums of money, largely from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter, that LIV planned to inform players and staff by Thursday that it is withdrawing its backing at the end of the season. CNN Sports has reached out to LIV Golf for comment on the Journal’s report.

Launched in 2022 with an initial $400 million investment, LIV Golf looked to rival the PGA Tour by featuring $250 million in prize purses, initially threatening to shake the foundations of the sport. The PGA Tour declined to comment when asked about Wednesday’s report.

The league is primarily funded by PIF, the sovereign wealth fund chaired by Mohammed bin Salman – the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and the man who a US intelligence report named as responsible for approving the operation that led to the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Bin Salman has denied involvement in Khashoggi’s murder.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/29/sport/liv-golf-funding-saudi-arabia



REFERENCE - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143650905
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WSJ: LIV Golf to tell players and staff by Thursday that tour will lose Saudi funding at end of season (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Yesterday OP
Like Trump's hapless attempt to compete and replace the NFL with his no_hypocrisy Yesterday #1
Redwashing failed lapfog_1 Yesterday #2
"Plus they are going to need to conserve some money for a year or 5 due to the stupid war his buddy Trump started" BumRushDaShow Yesterday #7
Trump and Saudi Arabia's golf venture failed.... aaawwww. Too bad. LOL Multichromatic Yesterday #3
Gift link to cited WSJ piece Shrek Yesterday #4
"the operation was no longer consistent with the new phase of PIF's investment strategy." Ray Bruns Yesterday #5
Now they'll come crawling back to the PGA money train. Vinca Yesterday #6
Easier said than done Shrek Yesterday #8
Couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch. NCDem47 Yesterday #9
Can we all say it together blue blues Yesterday #10
No more Phil or Sergio. Henry203 Yesterday #11
Maybe they can all get jobs handing out clubs at mini-golf. twodogsbarking Yesterday #12
Or driving the ball-retrieving tractor at the driving range that everyone tries to hit. NBachers Yesterday #16
Better yet but the line to hit would be very long. twodogsbarking Yesterday #20
Trumps foul mouth ruined it. pwb Yesterday #13
I read the PGA is in no hurry to take any of them back Bengus81 Yesterday #14
PGA is just as bad - all of American golf has been embarrassingly MAGAfied Prairie Gates Yesterday #19
F-A-F-O DonCoquixote Yesterday #15
And there will never be another professional golf tournament at any Trump affiliated courses ever again. ChicagoTeamster Yesterday #17
The Saudis realized that all their ridiculous clown deals with the Trumps weren't worth shit Prairie Gates Yesterday #18

no_hypocrisy

(55,181 posts)
1. Like Trump's hapless attempt to compete and replace the NFL with his
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 05:08 AM
Yesterday

American Football League in the 80's, he failed again to attain a similar goal, but this time in golf (by proxy).

Not to mention, no Saudi money gives Trump a "sad" with no more subsidies to his golf clubs.

lapfog_1

(31,954 posts)
2. Redwashing failed
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 05:27 AM
Yesterday

people still hate MBS aka Mister Bone Saw, no matter how much money he throws into golf tournaments.

Plus they are going to need to conserve some money for a year or 5 due to the stupid war his buddy Trump started with Iran.

I think this bodes ill for Jared getting more money too.

BumRushDaShow

(171,385 posts)
7. "Plus they are going to need to conserve some money for a year or 5 due to the stupid war his buddy Trump started"
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 07:44 AM
Yesterday

THAT is the real reason. They are going broke just like the UAE (who just pulled out of OPEC) despite the high oil prices, because they can't guarantee delivery.

WTI crude spiked well over $110/bbl overnight and is currently sitting in the $104/bbl range (with Brentt around $108/bbl) at post time.

Ray Bruns

(6,603 posts)
5. "the operation was no longer consistent with the new phase of PIF's investment strategy."
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 07:37 AM
Yesterday

Translation, “Mango Moron in the White House made us go broke with his stupid war”

Shrek

(4,446 posts)
8. Easier said than done
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 07:49 AM
Yesterday
And the hill to get back on Tour could be even steeper for golfers with less illustrious track records. The Tour already drew a line in the sand when the previous returning member program was strictly limited to recent major champions.

“We’re interested in having the best players who can help our tour,” Rolapp said. “Not every player can do that.”

NCDem47

(3,511 posts)
9. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch.
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 08:11 AM
Yesterday

So let me get this straight…

They handed out cartoonishly large contracts — $200M here, $150M there — like it was Monopoly money, all propped up by Saudi cash… and now we’re supposed to believe this thing stands on its own?

Without that bottomless fund, LIV isn’t a tour — it’s a very expensive exhibition with a scoreboard.

Are those contracts still getting paid? Because unless there’s a secret revenue stream nobody’s heard of, the math doesn’t exactly math. Turns out “disrupting golf” is a lot easier when someone else is footing the bill.

pwb

(12,786 posts)
13. Trumps foul mouth ruined it.
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 08:30 AM
Yesterday

Looks like Bin Salman is not going to kiss trumps ass over his war eh?

Bengus81

(10,298 posts)
14. I read the PGA is in no hurry to take any of them back
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 09:01 AM
Yesterday

Once again Trump KILLS everything he touches..............

Prairie Gates

(8,380 posts)
19. PGA is just as bad - all of American golf has been embarrassingly MAGAfied
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 09:36 AM
Yesterday

I won't watch a single round anymore.

DonCoquixote

(13,976 posts)
15. F-A-F-O
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 09:08 AM
Yesterday

The privilege of Billionaire wealth is that you can make Million-Dollar blunders and still know you will be never have to worry about being broke.

ChicagoTeamster

(1,152 posts)
17. And there will never be another professional golf tournament at any Trump affiliated courses ever again.
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 09:11 AM
Yesterday

PGA already told Trump to go pound sand after Jan6 and I don't think there's any other major professional golf associations. Most of the other golf associations are amateur even in Europe where they have the DP World Tour which was formerly a PGA sponsored European event.

His new Saudi and other Gulf partners are probably going to end their golf relationships with the Trump org as soon as he's out of office if not before thanks to Trump's Iran mistake/crime.

Maybe Netanyahu will let him partner in rebuilding Israel's Caesarea Golf Club if the Iranians blow it up.

Are Epstein's Island or Zorro Ranch big enough for golf courses? Maybe Trump can start the PedoGA.

Prairie Gates

(8,380 posts)
18. The Saudis realized that all their ridiculous clown deals with the Trumps weren't worth shit
Thu Apr 30, 2026, 09:35 AM
Yesterday

when the rockets started flying.

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