Ian Poulter puts a number on LIV Golf's survival: $300 million, four weeks
NEW YORK, Aug 16. A September 1 fundraising deadline leaves LIV Golf roughly four weeks to secure $300 million in outside investment or fold, according to Ian Poulter, who left the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed circuit in 2022. Poulter made the statement on the YouTube series "GOLF LIFE" in a conversation with host Jimmy Bullard, saying he thinks "time might run out."
Key takeaways
- According to Ian Poulter, LIV Golf has roughly four weeks from a September 1 deadline to secure $300 million in outside investment or fold.
- Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund announced it would stop backing LIV after the 2026 season, and the league has never turned a profit.
- LIV CEO Scott O'Neil says significant outside interest exists and disclosed the tour signed a term sheet with an unnamed lead investor.
- Players face varied outcomes: some retain DP World Tour eligibility, a few can return to the PGA Tour, and a third group can play neither.
- Poulter, 50, described his own future as 'up in the air,' with options including the Champions Tour or a possible LIV 2.0.
NEW YORK, Aug 16. A September 1 fundraising deadline leaves LIV Golf roughly four weeks to secure $300 million in outside investment or fold, according to Ian Poulter, who left the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed circuit in 2022. Poulter made the statement on the YouTube series "GOLF LIFE" in a conversation with host Jimmy Bullard, saying he thinks "time might run out."
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund announced it would stop backing LIV after the 2026 season. The league has not turned a profit. LIV Chief Executive Scott O'Neil has maintained that significant outside interest exists and disclosed that the tour signed a term sheet with an unnamed lead investor. Bryson DeChambeau has reportedly attended meetings with potential backers.
In the interview, Poulter laid out the constraint: four weeks to close a $300 million commitment, with player contracts and investor agreements still requiring signatures within that window. The PIF, he said, faces a choice between letting the current entity go into bankruptcy and absorbing what he put at a $6 billion write-off to clear the path for a restructured version.
Players caught in the middle
Several prominent signings have already left or are leaving. Brooks Koepka rejoined the PGA Tour earlier in 2026 under a returning member program. Jon Rahm appears weeks or months from departure. The DP World Tour has declined to offer conditional releases that would allow LIV players to compete on both circuits in 2027, narrowing options for those who might have used that flexibility as a bridge.
Poulter said the outcome will differ across the field. Some players retain DP World Tour eligibility; a few prominent names can return to the PGA Tour. A third group, he said, cannot play either tour. Michael La Sasso, a recent men's college golf national champion who chose LIV over the PGA Tour, faces a difficult position if the league dissolves.
Poulter, 50, said his own situation is "up in the air," with options that include the Champions Tour or a possible LIV 2.0 if an investor restart takes shape. Whether the unnamed backer cited by O'Neil can commit on those terms before September 1 remains unconfirmed.