Cameron Smith joined LIV Golf in 2022 on a reported $140 million contract after reaching world No. 2 and winning a major championship.
Questions about LIV’s future grew after reports that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund would stop funding the league after the 2026 season. Smith said he wants LIV to continue but would return to the PGA Tour if it became his only realistic option.
One day later, LIV CEO Scott O’Neil announced a board-approved term sheet with a new lead investor. However, the investment has not yet been finalized. Smith’s long-term playing future, therefore, remains uncertain.
Cam Smith addresses his LIV Golf future
Smith spoke to reporters on Aug. 4 in Bedminster, New Jersey, before LIV Golf New York. Asked what he would do if LIV ceased operating or was no longer a viable option, he said he would be willing to return to the PGA Tour if it became his only realistic choice.
Smith said that if the PGA Tour were his only option, it was where “everyone would want to be,” adding that he would return “100%.” He said such a move would take professional golf “back to old times.” He did not announce any negotiations with the PGA Tour.
Smith also emphasized that he strongly wants LIV Golf to continue. He praised the experience and his teammates, saying Ripper GC’s members help one another improve as golfers and people. Smith said he had made no effort to seek another opportunity because he remained optimistic about LIV’s future.
Financial cracks threaten LIV Golf stability
LIV Golf’s future became uncertain after PIF confirmed that it would end its financial support after the 2026 season. LIV then began seeking replacement capital and developing a revised business model.
On Aug. 5, CEO Scott O’Neil said a lead investor had signed a term sheet approved by LIV’s board. The transaction has not yet been finalized, and the investor’s identity and financial commitment have not been publicly disclosed. O’Neil also said more than a dozen parties had expressed interest in becoming minority investors.
As of Aug. 9, LIV’s official website still lists the Michigan Team Championship for Aug. 27–30 at The Cardinal at Saint John’s and continues to offer tickets. Recent reporting has raised serious doubts about whether the event will be played as scheduled, but LIV has not announced its cancellation.
Smith explains his loyalty to his team
Smith captains Ripper GC, LIV’s all-Australian team. He said the group’s members help make one another better golfers and better people. His comments showed that the team environment is an important reason he wants LIV to continue.
Smith said he would hate to see the team structure and the programs connected with it disappear. He specifically mentioned Ripper GC’s work in Australian junior golf and the profile LIV Golf Adelaide created. He did not describe the issue only as a personal financial or career decision.
LIV combines individual scoring with a separate team competition. Ripper GC won the 2024 LIV team championship and has also won events during the 2026 season. However, Smith did not say that the format was responsible for most of his recent individual success.
Saudi funding pullback raises serious questions
PIF has been LIV Golf’s primary financial backer since the league launched in 2022 and is scheduled to end its support after the 2026 season. Its investment has helped fund LIV’s operations, tournament purses, and major player contracts. LIV has also generated commercial revenue through sponsorships and media rights agreements.
LIV is now pursuing an investor-backed model. CEO Scott O’Neil said the proposed next phase would feature 10 team events per year, split evenly between U.S. and international venues, with players becoming majority equity holders. Full financial terms have not been disclosed.
Smith described LIV’s future as uncertain on Aug. 4. The next day, O’Neil announced that a lead investor had signed a board-approved term sheet. Reuters reported that the transaction is expected to be finalized in September.
Unverified report claims 7 LIV players plan exits
One golf outlet reported that 7 unnamed LIV players intended to leave after the 2026 season regardless of whether new financing arrived. The outlet attributed the claim to the social-media account Flushing It. No players were publicly identified, and LIV has not confirmed that 7 departures have been arranged.
The new investment proposal does not guarantee that every player will stay. Future contracts and changes to the league could influence individual decisions, and O’Neil has said more roster details will come later.
Smith, by contrast, has said he wants LIV to continue. He is under contract through the end of 2027 and said on Aug. 4 that he had made no effort to seek another option.
Fun fact: Ripper GC posted an April Fools’ prank in 2024 claiming that Smith had shaved his signature mullet, but the haircut was not real.
Smith could seek a PGA Tour return if LIV ends
Smith said he would return to the PGA Tour if it became his only practical playing option. He has not announced an application or negotiations with the tour and remains under contract with LIV through the end of 2027.
Earlier in 2026, the PGA Tour created a limited Returning Member Program for a small group of recent major and Players Championship winners who had joined LIV. Smith qualified for the program but chose to remain with LIV and did not accept the offer before the February deadline. Rory McIlroy separately said in January that he would welcome LIV players back without further punishment, but that represented McIlroy’s view rather than a PGA Tour eligibility rule.
The 2023 framework agreement involving the PGA Tour and PIF never became a definitive agreement and does not provide Smith with a standing route back. Any future PGA Tour return would depend on the membership and eligibility rules in effect when Smith sought reinstatement.
Australian golf legacy weighs on decision
Smith cited LIV’s Australian programs as a major reason he wants the league to continue. He specifically mentioned junior golf, Ripper GC’s Little Rippers initiative, and the profile created by the Adelaide event. Ripper GC has also entered a formal partnership with Golf Australia’s MyGolf junior-participation program.
LIV Golf Adelaide reported more than 115,000 attendees across its 4 competition days in 2026. LIV described it as the highest-attended professional golf event in Australian history. The available official claim does not establish that it was the largest event of every kind in the history of Australian golf.
Smith said golf-club memberships and social participation had increased and that LIV deserved part of the credit. That is Smith’s assessment rather than an independently demonstrated causal finding. Available participation figures would need to separate LIV’s effect from broader demographic, tourism, and industry trends.
What major changes to LIV could mean for golf?
A LIV shutdown or major restructuring would force players to reassess where they compete. Returning to the PGA Tour would not be automatic for many players because eligibility depends on tour rules and each player’s membership or disciplinary status.
A shutdown would end LIV’s current team format. Under O’Neil’s proposed restructuring, however, LIV would retain a smaller team-based schedule of 10 events per year, split evenly between U.S. and international venues.
Smith’s Aug. 4 comments reflected the uncertainty before O’Neil announced the lead-investor term sheet on Aug. 5. The term sheet has been approved by LIV’s board, but Reuters reported that the investment transaction is expected to be finalized in September. Questions remain about the final 2027 roster, player contracts and future prize money..
Little-known fact: Smith established the Cameron Smith scholarship with Golf Australia in 2016, and 2 young Australian golfers were selected as its 2026 recipients.
TL;DR
- Cam Smith says he would return to the PGA Tour if LIV Golf were to fold completely.
- Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund plans to stop funding LIV after this current season.
- Several LIV players reportedly plan to leave the league regardless of new investment.
- Smith highlighted his close team bond and LIV’s impact on golf in Australia.
- The season finale in Michigan faces real doubt over whether it will happen as planned.
If you liked this story, don’t forget to follow us for more exclusive content.
This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
If you liked this, you might also like:
