Anirban Lahiri pushed back against claims about LIV Golf’s future without Saudi funding, including suggestions that players are looking to return to the PGA Tour. The Crushers GC player delivered a strong response to those reports.

Speaking to The Times of London on Friday, the 38-year-old denied reports that LIV Golf players would return to the PGA Tour if Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund ends its funding after the 2026 season.

"That is the biggest joke ever," Lahiri said. "I will not name names, but I know at least a dozen players who'd rather not play golf than go back to the PGA Tour."

Lahiri joined LIV Golf in 2022, has earned over $30 million, and said his seven years on the PGA Tour gave him enough reason not to return.

"Some of the things I learned disillusioned me. I'll leave it at that," he said. "To generalize that everybody is falling over backwards to come back to the PGA Tour is the same kind of propaganda we've had for four years."

He also raised a pointed question about how PGA Tour members would feel if LIV players walked back in.

"A lot of players moved from the PGA Tour because the lack of transparency there was just annoying," he said. "If I'm a PGA Tour member and suddenly you're welcoming back LIV golfers, I'd be furious."

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil said the league plans to sell team shares to new investors, adding that there is already strong interest in buying in.

Lahiri agreed with that view. He said the most important thing is to build the business in the right way.

Anirban Lahiri Talks About Working With DP World Tour as LIV Plans Its Next Step

Lahiri outlined a vision for the league to expand its global reach.

"There's a dearth of investment opportunities in sports, and our biggest strength is that we're global," he said. "I don't see another league in golf that can operate globally at the scale at which we have, so that makes us a niche property to begin with."

A tie-up with the DP World Tour is something he would welcome too, though he's not pretending it would be straightforward.

"If there is a collaboration with the DP World Tour and us, that'd be great," Lahiri said. "It's a very volatile and flexible situation. There's a lot of bad blood between all the organizations."

Lahiri's comments come as his Crushers teammate Bryson DeChambeau told reporters he would rather grow his YouTube channel than rejoin the PGA Tour.

Jon Rahm said he doesn't see a way out of his multi-year LIV contract. Thomas Pieters has said publicly that he would rather retire than go back.

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Eknoor Juneja

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav