New Report on LIV Golf Includes Key People Not Being Paid in Recent Weeks

LIV Golf is playing this week in Mexico City as speculation swirls about the league's future.

Some of LIV Golf’s vendors and players haven’t been paid in weeks. | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Speculation surrounded LIV Golf starting Tuesday night as social media rumblings suggested the Saudi Arabia-backed golf league could be in peril. While there hasn’t been any official communication about the future of LIV Golf, the league did post pairings for Thursday’s opening round of the LIV Golf Mexico City event.

However, a recent report from the Financial Times, shared by Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard on Wednesday, expressed that the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia is “on the verge” of cutting its funding off from LIV Golf. Hoggard talked to various LIV players and vendors who shared they haven’t been paid in weeks—a new development in all the discourse.

“I talked to players and vendors who haven’t gotten paid by LIV Golf for the last few weeks,” Hoggard said.

BREAKING NEWS per @FT report: PIF is on the verge of ending its funding of LIV Golf. No final decision has yet been made.

Head to Golf Channel for live analysis and coverage. pic.twitter.com/4o9035HejA

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) April 15, 2026

Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig attempted to reach LIV officials for comment but has been unsuccessful. No one from the league has commented publicly. Players contacted by SI said they have not been given any information and that Wednesday’s pre-tournament pro-am would continue as scheduled.

What this means for LIV golfers’ hopes of re-entering PGA Tour

The PGA Tour began a “Returning Members Program” so that select golfers who went to LIV could have a pathway to return to the PGA Tour. Only four golfers were eligible to return by Feb. 2: Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith. They are the LIV Golf players who have won a major championship or a Players Championship since 2022. Only players who have won those tournaments and been away from the Tour for at least two years are eligible.

Koepka was the first golfer to make headlines about returning to the PGA Tour—he was able to seamlessly be reinstated because he’d won the 2023 PGA Championship. But, there were some catches—he doesn’t have the inability to get sponsor invites to signature events, no Tour equity for five years, no FedEx Cup bonus money this year and he received a $5 million fine. DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith elected to remain with LIV.

In January, former PGA Tour golfers like Pat Perez and Patrick Reed left LIV and expressed their intention on rejoining the PGA Tour. Reed will be reinstated on Aug. 25, 2026, as a non-member after he competes on the DP World Tour this season.

Hoggard noted that Reed will be the “litmus test” for any golfers who would want to return to the PGA Tour if LIV Golf goes under. The players will have one year after completing their last LIV event to be eligible to return to the PGA Tour, and upon returning would have to “start from scratch” building up their ranking and position in the Tour after being away for however many years.

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