LIV Golf reportedly signals mass layoffs amid search for investors after Saudi Arabia pulls funding
LIV Golf notified employees in both the United States and the United Kingdom that it may implement mass layoffs in the near future, according to reports from both Sportico and the Sports Business Journal.
LIV Golf filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice, which is a legal requirement that forces businesses with more than 100 employees to provide at least 60 days notice of potential mass layoffs or plant closings. The United Kingdom also has similar layoff notification requirements.
LIV Golf's headquarters are split between New York and London, and reportedly has a staff of more than 300 people worldwide. Specifics of the layoffs are not yet known, and no staff changes have been made yet. According to the Sports Business Journal, no final decisions have been made by the league.
"There are no changes to LIV Golf's current workforce, operations, or schedule at this time," a spokesperson for LIV Golf said in a statement to Sportico. "As our process to identify strategic investors moves forward in a positive direction, and as part of responsible planning for a range of possible outcomes, we have notified employees in the United States and United Kingdom of potential future actions related to the League's corporate workforce. This step is being taken in accordance with legal obligations in each jurisdiction. We deeply appreciate our employees' continued dedication as we work toward a strong and sustainable future for the League."
Potential layoffs come amid rough time for LIV Golf
Wednesday's reports come amid what's been a rough stretch for LIV Golf as it fights to find a path forward after the 2026 campaign.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which backed the league initially and invested more than $5 billion into it from the jump, announced earlier this year that it was pulling funding after the 2026 season.
The league is attempting to move forward with "LIV 2.0" and tweak the format slightly to both retain golfers and appeal to investors. They are reportedly trying to raise up to $250 million to remain afloat next year, but the organization has reportedly started laying the groundwork for a potential U.S. bankruptcy. Reports have claimed that LIV Golf is now running on loans for the rest of 2026, too, which only adds pressure to the venture.
LIV Golf, which has struggled to gain traction in recent years, has lost both Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed back to the PGA Tour after the merger-of-sorts that was announced at the height of the golf feud never came together.
LIV Golf has four events left on the 2026 schedule. League CEO Scott O'Neil stopped short of guaranteeing that the events will be played while speaking on CNBC last month, but did say he has to "take an incredible organization like the PIF at their word."
A group filed a lawsuit against LIV Golf, the PIF and others in April, too. The lawsuit, which was first reported Tuesday, accused the league of stealing the idea for LIV Golf and is seeking up to $630 million in damages.
While it's unclear if LIV Golf has a realistic path forward after 2026, the league believes the potential right-sizing of its staff would help it secure an investment, according to the Sports Business Journal. Whether that actually comes to fruition, however, remains to be seen.
