Donald Trump is once again caught in the middle of golf’s ongoing civil war between two rival tours. As LIV Golf loses ground fast, Trump is speaking up publicly and taking sides in the fight.
LIV Golf spent years luring away major champions with massive paydays funded almost entirely by Saudi money. Now that support is fading, rival tours are quietly building new alliances to strengthen their positions.
Trump owns courses tied closely to both sides of this golf rivalry, giving his opinion extra weight and attention. His comments come at a pivotal moment as LIV Golf searches for a way to survive.
LIV Golf faces a funding crisis
LIV Golf built its entire brand on massive prize money and huge signing bonuses that pulled stars away from traditional tours. That model depended almost entirely on cash flowing from Saudi Arabia’s government investment fund.
That funding is now ending soon after the current season fully wraps up. LIV Golf must find new outside investors or risk losing its biggest remaining stars and its long-term future in golf.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour keep quietly striking new deals with rival organizations around the world. Every fresh partnership makes LIV Golf look weaker and gives established tours far more leverage overall.
Trump calls for a tour reunion
Trump has openly said he wants LIV Golf stars welcomed back onto the PGA Tour without harsh penalties. He believes golf fans truly deserve to watch the very best players compete regularly.
Speaking from the Oval Office earlier this year, Trump named specific players he wants to see teeing it up together. He specifically mentioned Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Scottie Scheffler by name directly.
Trump still owns golf courses tied closely to both tours through hosting agreements. His comments carry extra weight since he profits from LIV events while also publicly supporting a full PGA Tour reunion for players.
Saudi backing comes to an end
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund officially launched LIV Golf in 2022 with enormous financial backing. The fund has poured more than $5 billion into the league since then.
That spending helped LIV lure away several major champions using guaranteed multi-year contracts. Yet the league never quite gained the fan following or ratings it truly needed to become fully self-sustaining in the long term.
Now, PIF has clearly decided that continuing to fund the venture makes little sense. Without fresh Saudi money, LIV Golf faces an uncertain 2027 season and must quickly convince new investors that the project remains worth backing.
Asian Tour switches sides quickly
The Asian Tour had partnered closely with LIV Golf since before its 2022 launch, hosting many International Series events together. That long-running relationship recently ended in favor of a completely new alliance instead.
Instead, the Asian Tour joined forces with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour earlier this month in a surprise move. The agreement was reportedly finalized during the British Open at Royal Birkdale in England.
LIV Golf officials were reportedly caught totally off guard by the sudden announcement. Losing the Asian Tour removes a key pathway league officials once used to develop and recruit promising, rising international talent.
Trump’s business ties to both tours
Trump National courses are actively hosting events for both rival tours during 2026, an unusual balancing act. His Washington DC club recently hosted LIV Golf Virginia while Doral hosted a separate PGA Tour signature event.
This dual role lets Trump maintain financial ties to LIV Golf while publicly pushing hard for reconciliation between the sides. Critics say it clearly shows just how tangled business interests and golf politics have truly become.
Trump previously feuded loudly with the PGA of America after it moved a major championship away from his own Bedminster club following the January 6 Capitol riot. His relationship with the sport’s governing bodies has shifted back and forth several times since then.
Little-known fact: Trump National Doral once hosted LIV Golf every season since the league’s 2022 debut, but it switched to a PGA Tour event instead in 2026.
A historic partnership takes shape
The new three-way alliance between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Asian Tour runs through the year 2029. It also restores several co-sanctioned tournaments dating back decades between the tours.
Asian Tour players now have a clearer path to the DP World Tour and, eventually, the PGA Tour itself. Officials called the deal a smart way to expand playing opportunities across the wider Asian region.
This shift clearly signals that golf’s power center is moving farther away from LIV Golf, and quickly. The traditional tours are actively rebuilding old alliances while LIV Golf scrambles hard to hold its roster together.
Fun fact: the Asian Tour’s connection to European golf actually dates back to February 1999, when the Malaysian Open first launched its collaboration.
What LIV Golf must do next?
LIV Golf reportedly wants to shift toward a leaner, so-called LIV 2.0 model to attract fresh backers. Executives are actively exploring several format changes that could make the struggling league more appealing to investors.
Finding replacement investors without steady Saudi backing will prove difficult, given LIV Golf’s heavy spending to date. Any new partner would need very deep pockets and real patience for a league still rebuilding trust.
If ongoing talks fail completely, more players could exit for the PGA Tour under negotiated return terms. LIV Golf’s survival may ultimately depend on proving it still offers something that golf fans genuinely want.
The future of professional golf
Golf’s landscape looks vastly different from what it did in 2022, when LIV Golf first launched. Alliances keep shifting rapidly as teams compete hard for players, sponsors, and their own long-term financial stability.
Trump remains a central figure pushing for unity even while keeping one foot planted firmly in each camp. His continued influence could still shape how future negotiations unfold between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.
Whatever happens next, golf fans simply want to see the world’s best golfers competing together again on one single tour. That shared goal may ultimately determine how this entire golf power struggle is resolved.
TL;DR
- LIV Golf’s Saudi funding ends after the current season, leaving the league searching for new investors.
- Trump has publicly urged the PGA Tour to welcome LIV Golf stars back without harsh penalties.
- The PIF has poured more than $5 billion into LIV Golf since its 2022 launch.
- The Asian Tour dropped LIV Golf in favor of a new alliance with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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