From calling LIV Golf “dead in the water” to later admitting he had been “too judgmental” toward players who joined, Rory McIlroy has been outspoken against LIV Golf since its inception.

After reports of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund pulling funding, he offered another assessment.

“When one of the wealthiest sovereign wealth funds in the world thinks that you're too expensive for them, that sort of says something,” said the 2026 Masters winner on Friday during a press conference at Truist Championship.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced on April 30, 2026, that it will stop funding LIV Golf after the 2026 season.

The costs of supporting LIV Golf no longer align with the fund's long-term priorities after spending more than $5 billion since LIV’s launch in 2022.

“It's never been for me and, look, it doesn't mean that LIV is going to go away. They're going to go and try and find alternative investment, whatever that may look like,” added the six-time major winner from Northern Ireland.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor who played a central role in the league’s launch, is expected to step down as chairman.

At the same time, LIV established a new independent board led by investment bankers Gene Davis and Jon Zinman to oversee the league’s transition into what it described as a “multi-partner investment model.”

The sudden pulling of funding has left LIV Golf players in still waters, unsure of their future on the rebel course, as well as on the PGA tour.

Rory McIlroy is not the only player to react as Bryson DeChambeau addresses LIV Golf uncertainty after PIF decision

Before Rory McIlroy addressed LIV Golf’s funding uncertainty, Bryson DeChambeau had already reacted to the decision.

The 2026 LIV Golf South Africa winner admitted that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund's move to stop backing LIV Golf after the 2026 season came as a surprise to players.

Speaking after LIV CEO Scott O’Neil informed players about the decision, DeChambeau stated that the decision came as a surprise to everyone, including himself.

“I was completely shocked. I didn't expect it to happen. A couple of months before that, it's like: ‘We're here until 2032. We've got financing until 2032,’ and so I told everybody, and that's what I was told.” 

With his LIV contract also expiring this season, DeChambeau added that he may focus on expanding his YouTube platform if the league cannot secure new investors.

Do you think LIV Golf can survive without Saudi Arabia’s PIF backing? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Surjo Ray