LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil addressed reporters Wednesday at The Club at Chatham Hills for LIV Golf Indianapolis with a message of positivity. LIV Golf Indianapolis became the final event of the 2026 season after the cancellation of the planned team championship event in Michigan and is entering a critical transition period after the withdrawal of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Despite serious uncertainty about the future of LIV Golf past the 2026 season, O’Neil’s message was clear: “Complete, not compete.”, said O’Neil. O’Neil laid out a proposed future for LIV Golf that includes five international events, five United States-based events, with scheduling considerations so that LIV golfers have the ability to compete in major tournaments. The message was clear: LIV is trying to move away from it’s status as a disruptor, and towards a league seeking a sustainable place within professional golf.
One of the key parts of O’Neil’s plans will be whether players are willing to buy-in to his vision. One of those players that seems to be committed is Bryson DeChambeau. “I have a lot of time for Bryson. I talk to him quite a bit,” O’Neil said. “…He cares about the global game of golf. He cares about building this next generation of fans.” “Bryson has become a good friend, a good advocate of the league. I certainly hope he’s with us for the future. He’s been extremely supportive, as I can say most of the big guys have been.”
While O’Neil spent time laying out grand plans for LIV Golf extending beyond 2026, one of the major hurdles LIV Golf faces is finding an investor to facilitate those plans. Said investor, which is still officially unnamed, met with LIV players Tuesday night at The Club at Chatham Hills. O’Neil acknowledged that there is a deadline for completing a deal with this investor but would not provide the details on the deadline. When asked whether bankruptcy is still an option for LIV Golf, he said that it is not out of the question.
These negotiations remain ongoing even in the face of allegations of LIV not paying vendors. When asked about comments from Fresh Tape Media, one of the vendors who is suing LIV for unpaid invoices, O’Neil stated “Look, I come from a family of entrepreneurs, a family of small business entrepreneurs and know the challenge that that is. So what I would say to them is we’re doing everything we can to make sure we do right by them and the work they committed, and I hope we can.”
While the Saudi PIF had invested over $5 billion into the golf league prior to pulling out, O’Neil laid out plans for a LIV 2.0 that will be dramatically different from before. “I wasn’t here in the early days, but at least reputationally, it was a bit more free-spending than it will be in the future. We’ve taken a real disciplined look at the cost side of the business.” O’Neil’s plans include commercial discipline to turn LIV Golf into a profitable league. “For the next generation, it will certainly be a different business with a different process,” O’Neil said.
While O’Neil’s messaging on Wednesday was full of optimism about LIV Golf’s future, it remains uncertain whether the league’s biggest stars will still be playing in the LIV Golf league come 2027. Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Joaquin Niemann have not confirmed whether they will continue with LIV Golf in 2027 or go elsewhere. Notably, Bryson DeChambeau has not yet come to terms with LIV Golf for a renewed deal and is set to become a golf free agent at the conclusion of LIV Golf’s 2026 season.
LIV Golf Indianapolis, the defacto 2026 LIV Golf season finale, begins Thursday at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Indiana just outside of Indianapolis.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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