LIV Golf trims purses and faces lawsuits amid funding shortfall
LIV Golf is cutting prize money and cancelling events as it confronts multiple lawsuits over unpaid invoices and the withdrawal of Saudi funding, while players await clarity on future payments.
LIV Golf is scaling back its fifth season, reducing the Indianapolis purse to $10.1 million and cancelling the planned Team Championship in Michigan. The league’s funding outlook has dimmed after the Saudi Public Investment Fund announced it will finance LIV only through the end of the current season, prompting discussions of a possible bankruptcy filing to restructure liabilities.
Several vendors have sued the league for unpaid bills. Fresh Tape Media, which handled LIV’s media days, filed a $1.2 million claim, saying the league paid only half of what was owed before the PIF’s funding decision. Mobii Systems Group Limited, the supplier of LIV’s “Any Shot, Any Time” technology, is seeking $1.1 million for breach of contract and unpaid invoices. Front Office Sports reported that contractors have gone unpaid for months, and player Charles Howell III confirmed that purses from the recent New York event have not yet been received.
“It’s pretty simple: when a small business does the work, it deserves to be paid for it,” Fresh Tape founder Jared Kleinstein wrote on X.
LIV officials maintain that payments are being made within contractual timelines, and Howell said he was told payments would arrive on Wednesday.
“No one is worried about not getting paid,” Howell said.
The league’s CEO, Scott O’Neil, is scheduled to address the situation at a news conference, while the organization offers players equity stakes as part of a shortened season plan. Player sentiment is mixed; Brendan Steele said he remains committed to LIV, whereas others, including Sergio Garcia, expressed uncertainty about their futures.
“I think we’re still trying to figure it all out, to be honest,” Howell added.
Bryson DeChambeau, a leading figure in the league, has taken a larger role in discussions with potential investors, according to sources. The status of former world No. 1 Jon Rahm’s contract, reportedly worth over $100 million, remains unclear, with PGA Tour officials indicating they cannot engage with him until contractual issues are resolved.