LIV drama deepens as boycott threat, $10m cut leaves new season finale on the brink
FOX SPORTS Australia · Tim Miller · 2026-08-18T22:31:53+00:00 · nguồn gốc
LIV drama deepens as boycott threat, $10m cut leaves new season finale on the brink
LIV Golf’s precarious situation is going from bad to worse, with a boycott looming for the cash-strapped league’s year-ending event amid reports of unpaid wages.
With the rebel league’s future uncertain as it prepares for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to cease bankrolling the competition at the end of 2026, the prospect of it remaining viable going into 2027 looks bleaker by the day.
And just a day after confirming the long-expected news that the scheduled season finale in Michigan would be cancelled, the new 2026 closer in Indianapolis is also under threat.
A Sports Business Journal report claims several players, who are yet to be named, are weighing up pulling out of the event as they wait for their winnings from LIV Golf New York to be paid.
The tournament, which was won by Chilean Joaquin Niemann, concluded on August 9; but more than a week later, earnings which the league typically pays on the Tuesday or Wednesday immediately following the event are yet to be delivered.
It isn’t LIV Golf’s only player payments struggle, with Jon Rahm, one of the league’s marquee faces, reportedly owed as much as $150 million on his original contract.
The Spanish star is weighing up his future in the league, with officials said to be resigned to him departing at season’s end.
The new allegations come after LIV Golf slashed prizemoney for the Indianapolis event, in yet more proof of the league’s perilous financial state.
The individual prize pool for the event has been cut to $10.1 million, with the champion receiving $2 million – a substantial reduction from the $20m and $4m offered respectively in New York.
Adding to the woes, LIV is facing a lawsuit from contractors Fresh Tape Media, over unpaid dues stemming back from January’s pre-season launch.
Fresh Tape Media, who produced the league’s media days event, are suing for a reported $1.23 million, according to Front Office Sports.
Company founder Jared Kleinstein wrote on X: This isn’t about the work or the people we collaborated with. It’s pretty simple: when a small business does the work, it deserves to be paid for it.”
Despite LIV CEO Scott O’Neil claiming a deal with a new lead investor, reported to be private capital group BC Partners, an official announcement is yet to be made.
According to reports, the league’s potential new backers are seeking assurances that its star players, in particular Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, will commit to LIV long-term.