LIV Golf’s Future in Doubt as CEO Addresses $1.2M Vendor Lawsuit

LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil mentioned the league is “doing everything we can” to deal with vendor cost points because the breakaway tour faces recent questions on its future.

O’Neil Responds to LIV Golf Payment Dispute

O’Neil spoke Wednesday earlier than LIV Golf’s ultimate occasion of the 2026 season in Indianapolis. His feedback got here after Fresh Tape Media reportedly sued LIV for $1.2 million in unpaid charges and curiosity tied to work the corporate did for the league’s preseason media days.

According to the NY Post, Fresh Tape founder Jared Kleinstein additionally criticized the state of affairs publicly, saying, “When a small business does the work, it deserves to be paid for it.”

Asked concerning the dispute, O’Neil mentioned he understands the strain confronted by smaller companies.

“Look, I come from a family of entrepreneurs, a family of small business entrepreneurs and know the challenge that that is,” O’Neil mentioned. “So what I would say to them is we’re doing everything we can to make sure we can do right by them and the work they committed, and I hope we can.”

He added, “For the next generation, it will certainly be a different business with a different process.”

The lawsuit provides one other concern for LIV because the league prepares for a serious change after the 2026 season. In April, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund mentioned it will cease funding LIV past this 12 months.

LIV Golf Plans 10-Event “LIV 2.0”

Since then, LIV canceled its staff championship in Michigan and moved its season finale to Indianapolis. The particular person prize cash for the occasion was additionally minimize from $20 million to $10.1 million.

LIV has mentioned it has secured an unnamed investor to assist maintain the league working into 2027. However, O’Neil has not supplied many particulars concerning the deal. He mentioned the league is engaged on a plan referred to as “LIV 2.0,” which is anticipated to have 10 occasions, with 5 within the United States and 5 in different nations, Fox News reported.

The new plan would additionally give gamers a majority share of the league’s fairness. For O’Neil, maintaining the gamers is a key a part of that future. He mentioned LIV is working below a “compressed timeline” to finish its funding deal and believes sufficient gamers will stay.

“The entirety of our focus is to get to this transaction and get through it,” O’Neil mentioned. “Without the players, that becomes very difficult.”