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

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