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LIV Golf ending season early after cancelling final event

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • LIV Golf is concluding its season a week early, canceling its final team championship event in Michigan.
  • The league's 12-event schedule is its smallest since its 2022 launch, following Saudi Arabian funding cuts.
  • LIV CEO Scott O'Neil stated the move allows focus on a "fundamentally new league" for 2027, with players potentially becoming equity owners.

LIV Golf is shortening its season by one week, canceling the planned team championship in Michigan. The league will now crown its team champion at the upcoming event in Indianapolis. This marks the smallest schedule for LIV Golf since its inception in 2022, with only 12 events planned for the year.

By concluding the season now, we can put our full resources behind what comes next and maintain the operational rigor this transition demands

— Scott O'NeilExplaining the decision to end the season early.

This decision comes after the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, the league's primary financial backer, indicated in March that this would be its final year of funding. Jon Rahm has already secured the individual season title for the third consecutive year. The Indianapolis event will determine the second and third place finishers in the individual standings and crown the top team.

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil announced an agreement with a lead investor to sustain a new version of the league starting in 2027. "By concluding the season now, we can put our full resources behind what comes next and maintain the operational rigor this transition demands," O'Neil said in a statement. He described the future league as "fundamentally new," owned by the players, and built on a sustainable business model with an evolved fan experience.

We are reimagining LIV Golf as a fundamentally new league owned by the players and anchored in a sustainable business model, with an evolved fan experience built for the markets where the game is growing fastest across the globe and the support of world-class partners.

— Scott O'NeilDescribing the future vision for LIV Golf.

The cancellation of the Michigan event was not unexpected, with reports suggesting preparations had not begun. Ticket holders will receive refunds. In further cost-cutting measures, scheduled performances by Thomas Rhett and Disco Lines at the Indianapolis event have also been canceled. The final event's $20 million purse, with $4 million for the winner, may be the last substantial payout for LIV and its players, as future prize money structures are expected to change.

As we concentrate on finishing the season strong and building the next chapter of LIV Golf, we'll carry the energy and enthusiasm our fans have shown us into what comes next

— Scott O'NeilLooking ahead to the league's future.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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