Jon Rahm brushed off concerns about LIV Golf’s future after firing a 6-under 65 in the opening round at Chapultepec Golf Club, leaving him three shots behind Victor Perez of France.
“For me, it didn’t make sense to think about it or waste time thinking about,” Rahm said about the swirling uncertainty surrounding the Saudi-backed golf league. “Since everything happened so suddenly and so quickly, I wasn’t very worried about it because normally, before the rumors start, we already know something — there’s always someone within the league who knows something.”
The Spanish star added, “It happened so fast that I really didn’t worry about it,” while focusing instead on his game that featured seven birdies during Thursday’s round in Mexico City.
Speculation has been running wild that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund — LIV’s primary financial backer — might be reconsidering its massive investment. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil attempted to calm nerves with a memo to staff insisting the 2026 season would proceed “full throttle” without interruption.
Questions remain about what happens beyond that timeframe, though. The timing of a Tuesday power outage at the course didn’t help matters, nor did a two-hour streaming blackout during the first round that left fans unable to watch.
O’Neil Defends LIV’s Business Model
O’Neil joined the broadcast team to address concerns directly, projecting confidence about the league’s trajectory.
“Given the momentum of this business, we’re really excited about where we are and the position where we are,” O’Neil said.
He revealed meetings with 50 people at the Masters where he rolled out a plan that “might surprise people.” The CEO claims LIV’s key metrics are trending positively, with increases in ticket sales and team sponsorships. He’s projecting 10 of the 13 teams and four of the 14 events will turn a profit this year.
But the financial realities are stark. LIV’s operating costs are enormous, with $30 million prize funds for each tournament plus operational expenses. According to Money in Sport, LIV has already spent $5.3 billion and could exceed $6 billion by year’s end.
“This notion of bringing teams to market, I had two calls this morning,” O’Neil said on the LIV broadcast. “This notion of, ‘Do you have to raise money?’ Probably this is business. But if we keep the trajectory going the way we are and the revenue growth going, this is going to be a really good business for a really long time.”
The way things stand, LIV continues operating while players like Rahm focus on competition rather then boardroom drama. What remains unclear is whether the Saudi backers share O’Neil’s optimistic outlook about the league’s financial future.
