LIV Golf Releases Mexico City Pairings As Rumors Swirl Around League’s Future

The LIV Golf League posted its tee times for Thursday’s opening round of the LIV Golf Mexico City event, which is significant in light of the tremors surrounding the organization over the past two days.
By all indications, it is business as usual for the fifth-year circuit backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
But business is not taking place in the usual manner.
A staff full of LIV employees is in the dark about the league’s future after an unconfirmed report suggested it could be close to shutting down or at least is in some distress.
The social media account @acaseofthegolf1 by Ryan French referenced a “bombshell” announcement about the future of LIV Golf.
Ive heard from multiple sources that a bombshell announcement on LIVs future is imminent.
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) April 15, 2026
We don't give out gambling advice but If your’re a prediction market type person I would bet the under of whatever they have posted.
None of the league’s executives were in Mexico City on Tuesday and the London Telegraph reported that they were summoned to New York for a meeting with Public Investment Fund representatives, although the reason for the meeting was not announced.
The Financial Times reported Wednesday that the PIF was on the verge of cutting its support for the league.
Attempts to reach LIV officials for comment have been unsuccessful. No one from the league has commented publicly. Players contacted by Sports Illustrated said they have not been given any information and that Wednesday’s pre-tournament pro-am would continue as scheduled.
Sergio Garcia and his Fireballs team had a pre-tournament press conference Wednesday and the former major champion commented on the speculation.
“We have not heard anything,” Garcia said. “That is not what [LIV Golf chairman] Yasir [Al-Rumayyan] told us at the beginning of the year, that he is behind us, that they have a project of many years.”
Last week, several LIV Golf executives including CEO Scott O’Neil were in Augusta, Ga., for the Masters, where several members of the LIV Golf communications team were also in attendance.
There were 10 LIV golfers in the field including Tyrrell Hatton, who finished tied for third, two shots behind winner Rory McIlroy.
LIV has spent billions since its 2022 launch and in June 2023 the PIF and the PGA Tour, along with the DP World Tour, struck a “framework agreement” to drop litigation and negotiate a way to have some sort of an alliance. But nearly three years on, that has not occurred.
This week’s tournament is the sixth of LIV’s 14-event schedule and it will play its first domestic event in three weeks in Virginia, the week prior to the PGA Championship.
The circuit has enjoyed immense success in Australia and last month in South Africa and has signed future deals with numerous venues. Earlier this year, LIV signed several new players to help complete a new all-South Korea team but it has not landed one of the game’s biggest stars since Jon Rahm began with LIV in 2024.
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Bob Harig is a senior writer covering golf for Sports Illustrated. He has more than 25 years experience on the beat, including 15 at ESPN. Harig is a regular guest on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio and has written two books, “DRIVE: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods” and “Tiger and Phil: Golf’s Most Fascinating Rivalry.” He graduated from Indiana University where he earned an Evans Scholarship, named in honor of the great amateur golfer Charles (Chick) Evans Jr. Harig, a former president of the Golf Writers Association of America, lives in Clearwater, Fla.