LIV Golf’s Touted Revolution Ended With a Thud as Funding and Player Support Faded

Funding and player support falter

BC Partners backed out of its $300 million investment after LIV’s high-profile players did not sign up for the league’s next edition. The article describes LIV 2.0 as entering liquidation.

The author frames the retreat as a sign that, once funding ran short, headliners were no longer committed to a vision they had previously supported. The piece presents that interpretation alongside the investment’s collapse.

A costly attempt to grow

Over the years, LIV spent heavily on players, entertainment, musicians, elaborate stages and choreographed flash mobs. Those additions were intended to make golf feel louder and more expansive.

For a brief period, the league appeared capable of becoming a major force when it signed reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm. The article describes his contract as huge, while noting he did not receive all of it.

Rahm’s next steps draw scrutiny

Some golf fans may remember him as a star who left the Tour for money rather than legacy, the author writes. The piece also notes that money was available on both sides: Scottie Scheffler stayed on the PGA Tour and won $53 million last season.

Golf fans and the sport’s future

The author argues that golfers generally benefited from the split because purses have grown substantially, though Rory McIlroy thinks they may fall. The article says fans were the biggest losers because golf’s division diluted the sport and split its audience.

LIV’s decline could bring a positive change: fans may get more chances to watch the world’s best golfers compete together. Whether that happens more often remains to be seen.