Editor’s Note: Cade Michaelson is The Point’s sports editor and a fourth-year multimedia journalism major. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Point.
LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed men’s golf league intended to compete with the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) Tour, has seemingly lost its chance to become a successful major professional golf league.
Founded in 2021, LIV Golf — the golf circuit spearheaded by former golfer Greg Norman and funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — quickly became a threat to the PGA Tour, signing some of the world’s premier players like Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. The league did so by throwing obscene contracts, even offering hundreds of millions of dollars in some cases. Comparatively, PGA Tour players have a base income of $500,000, but they earn the majority of their money through tournament winnings. LIV provides a more stable income with fewer event commitments than the PGA Tour.
Despite the initial scare, LIV Golf has failed to make itself a relevant professional sports league. According to a Golf Digest article written last October, LIV lost $590.1 million in 2024 alone and has lost at least $1.4 billion since its inception.
It seems as though the final domino has fallen. Brooks Koepka, a five-time PGA Tour major champion, announced in December that he was leaving the circuit. On Jan. 12, Koepka posted to his Instagram that he is returning to the PGA Tour, despite the following financial penalties: Ineligibility to receive shares in the Player Equity Program, ineligibility from the FedEx Cup Bonus Pool and a $5 million donation to charity. ESPN estimates that Koepka could be forfeiting up to $85 million with this decision.
It speaks volumes that one of the first players to sign with LIV is also willing to leave the circuit and sacrifice that much money to return to the tour that provides less financial stability.
Based on a recent press conference, it seems as though DeChambeau, a two-time major champion, may be on his way out as well. He was asked to share his thoughts about the Koepka news, and his response was, “I’m contracted through 2026, so, excited about this year.” Not necessarily a glowing answer or promotion of LIV.
The PGA Tour outpaces LIV in every facet. I mentioned LIV losing almost $600 million in 2024. Meanwhile, the PGA generates nearly $2 billion per year. According to an article written by Golf.com, as of May, the PGA Tour was averaging 3.1 million viewers on its Sunday telecasts. LIV was averaging 175,000 and is seemingly becoming more like the PGA Tour, too, as it recently went from a 54-hole tournament league to 72 holes. The condensed, 54-hole tournaments were a staple of the league at the beginning. LIV is the Roman numeral for 54, after all.
The only relevance LIV has had is stealing players from the PGA Tour. The league makes headlines for that reason and that reason only. I implore you to find someone who actually cares about the league and watches it.
There’s something to be said about tradition, and the PGA Tour has loads of it. It was going to be an uphill battle for LIV to begin with because of the loyal fanbase of the PGA Tour. It marketed itself as a more casual golf league, where players can wear shorts, tournaments have shotgun starts and players are members of teams with both team and individual awards handed out. It takes time for tournaments to garner prestige, especially to the level of major championships. If LIV can no longer pluck players from the PGA Tour and cause momentary panic, it’s going to need something to hang its hat on, and it seems like the league is running out of time and money.
Mackenzie Lackey