LIV Golf and PIF Sued for $630M After Blueprint Stolen Allegations
HONGKONG LIV-GOLF A large LIV golf logo in Fanling Golf Course where LIV Golf Hong Kong is being held in Hong Kong, March 5, 2026. NEXPHER/Vernon Yuen HONG KONG
HONGKONG LIV-GOLF A large LIV golf logo in Fanling Golf Course where LIV Golf Hong Kong is being held in Hong Kong, March 5, 2026. NEXPHER/Vernon Yuen HONG KONG
Someone drew up the blueprint for a world golf league long before LIV Golf existed. Now they want between $210 million and $630 million to prove it.
Two English companies, the World Golf Group and the Premier Golf League, filed a lawsuit in the Commercial Court in London on April 16, 2026. It is against LIV Golf, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Golf Saudi, and other defendants.
ESPN obtained a copy of the complaint on July 8 and verified its authenticity through two sources familiar with the case.
The complaint cuts straight to the core allegation. "The Claimants conceived the idea for a new golf league called the Premier Golf League," it states, according to ESPN. "The Defendants conspired together to use the Claimants' confidential information without the permission of the Claimants to launch the LIV Golf League."
Apr 5, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; The LIV Golf logo is seen on banners before the first round of LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; The LIV Golf logo is seen on banners before the first round of LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
The lawsuit accuses LIV Golf and the PIF of breach of confidence and unlawful means conspiracy. Two former World Golf Group founders, Richard Marsh and Jed Moore, face separate accusations of breach of fiduciary duty for their roles in helping the Saudis launch LIV Golf.
The complaint traces the league's origins to 2009, when Andy Gardiner first conceived a world golf league he initially planned to call the Tour de Force World Championship.
By March 2018, the World Golf Group had launched with 30 founders. Marsh joined as a consultant in 2016, and Moore came aboard the following year.
The PIF's entry into the picture came through the 2019 Saudi International golf tournament. Moore and Gardiner met PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan there.
The PGA Tour later granted PIF representatives access to a confidential online data room containing business plans, financial models, operational guides, and golfer contracts.
The two sides signed a term sheet in November 2019. The PIF agreed to invest $490 million for a 49% share in the new company. But the deal did not happen because they could not agree on the company's value, and many players did not support it.
The lawsuit claims that what happened next changed everything.
How the Alleged Conspiracy Unfolded
The complaint says Al-Rumayyan told Moore and Al-Sorour that he wanted to "teach the tours a lesson."
It also says he was willing to spend billions of dollars, but only if he had full control of the new venture.
Marsh resigned from the PGL and joined the Saudi-backed project on May 24, 2021. The plaintiffs claim the new league closely copied the PGL. They say it used shotgun starts, a team format, and four-player teams led by a captain.
The PIF invested more than $5 billion in LIV before announcing on April 30 that it would stop funding the league. LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil is now trying to raise $300 million to keep the league running after this season.
The case is now before the Commercial Court in London. LIV Golf has not publicly responded to the allegations.
Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Koushik Biswas