‘It’s a Shame’: LIV Star Voices Fears as Questions Swirl Over League’s Future

Just over four years after LIV Golf burst onto the professional golf scene, the breakaway circuit is facing an uncertain future, as Saudi funding is set to end after 2026. Amid growing speculation over what lies ahead, one of its stars, Carlos Ortiz, who joined the league in 2022 after being lured by lucrative financial incentives and guaranteed contracts, addressed the uncertainty during a conversation with John Turnbull on Friday, July 3. 

“It’s looking a little bit tough. Hopefully there’s a way forward,” Ortiz told Bunkered. “I mean, I honestly don’t know all the situation, but it’s not looking great, obviously, as we all know. That’s a shame. I’ve really enjoyed my time playing all around the world, and it’s been awesome playing with my team. We’ll see what happens. 

“But whatever happens, I’m sure I’ll find a place to play and, for me, it’s just about playing golf. If I can start coming to places like this and seeing new places, then it will be great. For me, whatever happens is totally fine.”

Ortiz’s statement came after his second round at the BMW International Open on the DP World Tour. At the time of writing, the Mexican is tied for the tournament lead alongside Jack Senior and others. He is among several LIV Golf players competing this week at Golfclub München Eichenried. And one of them, Joaquin Niemann, who is Ortiz’s Torque GC teammate, has also shared his take on LIV Golf’s future. 

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Niemann, who is currently at the T21 spot in the DP Tour event, told Bunkered that he is confident that LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil is doing “the best job he can” to secure funding. He compared the DP World Tour to LIV Golf, suggesting “LIV is great.” He hopes the breakaway tour can secure the money and “please” the fans that are rooting for him. 

As of July 2026, O’Neil has yet to announce any new funding for the league. In fact, the LIV Golf CEO previously declined to guarantee whether the tour’s final four events of the season would even take place. Despite that, optimism like Niemann’s has remained common among players. 

Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer share outlook for LIV Golf

Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter, who joined LIV in 2022, will see his contract with the tour end in 2026. Despite that, ahead of his debut at the U.S. Senior Open, the uncertainty around the league’s future hasn’t affected Poulter’s opinion. 

 “I think Scott and the whole team have been very active over the last month… trying to raise private equity to keep this thing moving forward,” he told Daily Golf Club. “…They’ve got a good plan for ’27, and they feel pretty confident to have some support there. We’ll see how that trends.”

Meanwhile, Poulter’s former Ryder Cup teammate, Martin Kaymer, shared a similar optimistic outlook about the league. 

“We had a good meeting yesterday,” Kaymer told Bunkered. “… The way it looked last night was really positive. There’s interest. I don’t know if they’ll pull through, but they presented a business plan and… strategy for what 2027 can look like… The way [CEO Scott O’Neil] presented it was very positive to me.”

The German, who is playing at the BMW International Open, also addressed rumors that LIV players are using DP World Tour events as an exit strategy. 

 “I think it’s simply that we want to play more golf,” Kaymer said.

However, when Kaymer was asked about LIV’s immediate future, he claimed he has no idea. 

Clearly, despite the uncertainty LIV Golf has found itself in, most of its top names have an optimistic view of the future. But until LIV Golf makes an official announcement, everyone is bound to be on edge. 

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