LIV Golf said it will lay off the majority of its workforce in early September 2026 as Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) ended its funding after pouring over $5 billion into the league since 2022 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The global golf company had more than 300 employees, with most job cuts hitting the US and UK offices [1, 2, 4, 5].

The 2026 season concluded on August 23 in Indianapolis, just days before the layoffs were announced. The planned Team Championship event in Michigan for late August was canceled [3, 6, 7]. The PIF had announced in April 2026 that it would stop backing LIV Golf after the 2026 season, ending about five years of investment in the league [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil praised employees for their work ethic and vowed support for those affected during the transition. "You showed up with work ethic and passion, and you did everything you possibly could to make the season happen," O'Neil said [1]. A LIV Golf spokesperson added, "We remain committed to supporting those affected through this transition" [1].

The league has struggled this year with operational challenges, including event cancellations, reduced prize purses, unpaid vendor bills, and the looming risk of bankruptcy restructuring [3, 5, 6]. Some players remain loyal while others have left or expressed skepticism; the success of the next phase depends largely on majority player buy-in [5, 6].

LIV Golf signed a non-binding term sheet with a new lead investor, reportedly Ted Goldthorpe of BC Partners, to fund a re-imagined "LIV 2.0" set for 2027. The new plan includes 10 events split evenly between the US and international locations, with players holding a majority equity stake in the league [3, 5, 6, 7]. O'Neil said, "The whole focus is on transaction, transaction, transaction... We’re spending all our time thinking about how we best land this plane and have it landed so we can take off again." He confirmed the agreement with the investor has been approved by LIV Golf’s board [3, 7].

LIV Golf launched in June 2022 with financial backing from the Saudi PIF and grew quickly but now will scale back dramatically after this year’s funding cut [5, 6].

The layoffs set for early September mark the start of LIV Golf’s transition to its new investor-backed model. The league aims to resume competition in 2027 with its next era driven largely by player ownership and global events.