LIV Golf says it will keep going into 2027, even if it pulls out of Michigan to end 2026.
Per an announcement from LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil on Wednesday, Aug. 5, LIV has found a lead investor that will keep the tour operational into 2027, though O'Neil didn't reveal who the investor was or how much money they planned to invest.
"We anticipate finalizing terms in the coming weeks, with a goal of entering a transaction in September," a LIV statement read.
The announcement follows months of speculation of the tour's imminent shutdown after the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the tour's main financial backer, pulled its funding.
Despite O'Neil's announcement of the league's continuation in 2027, he did not commit to the 2026 season finishing with the team
championship at The Cardinal at Saint John's in Plymouth, currently scheduled for Aug. 27-30. Many experts speculate the Michigan tournament will not proceed as planned, though it still remains on the LIV schedule as of Wednesday.
"This is a very fluid situation," he reportedly said Wednesday morning at a news conference at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, ahead of this week's LIV tournament. "We are all working tirelessly to do everything we can to deliver the events of the season. Some of this stuff is completely out of our control. Some of this stuff is not. … We just don’t have any update or certainty."
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LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil says the league has officially secured a lead investor and that players will become equity holders.
— Nick Stavas (@nickstavas) August 5, 2026
"We're very fortunate that a lead investor has signed a term sheet, approved by our board, which will carry and fund LIV going forward." pic.twitter.com/92f0vBm8vO
Official Statement from LIV Golf.#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/XHyul4JuAk
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) August 5, 2026
LIV Golf began in 2022 as a rival league to the PGA Tour, attracting star golfers away from the Tour with multi-million dollar purses and a new format. LIV lured big-name golfers such as Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm from the PGA Tour with exclusivity deals, though Koepka and others have left LIV to return to the PGA Tour.
Should LIV exit the Mitten State, it would be the second major golf tournament to leave Michigan in 2026, with the Rocket Classic just ending its eight-year run at Detroit Golf Club on Aug. 2. The PGA Tour has expressed its interest to return to the Detroit metro at some point in the future.
The Cardinal, which opened in 2024 and was named the top public course in Wayne County in 2025 by the Free Press, is still open for public play until the week of the LIV tournament, per its tee sheet.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: LIV Golf announces new investor, but won't commit to Michigan event
