LIV Golf aided Saudi crown prince's image makeover. Now it's expendable | Opinion

LIV Golf remains in the headlines as executives meet amid ongoing conversations about the future of the sport.

See the LIV golfers who continue to draw attention through both current competition and their place in the broader discussion.

Above, Byeong Hun An in action during the first round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club.

Paul Casey of Crushers GC chips onto the first green during the finals of the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship at The Cardinal at Saint John's Resort.

Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after winning in a playoff against Byeong-Hun An of South Korea during the final round of The Memorial Tournament Presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 3, 2018, in Dublin, Ohio.

Sergio Garcia plays his shot on the seventeenth hole from the eighth hole during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Tyrrell Hatton tees off on the first hole during the third round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Charles Howell III, Bryson DeChambeau and Paul Casey of the Crushers GC celebrate the Dallas LIV team championship during the final round of the LIV Golf Dallas golf tournament at Maridoe Golf Club.

Dustin Johnson lines up a putt on the 17th green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Martin Kaymer of team Cleeks Golf Club hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the LIV Golf Virginia golf tournament at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Anthony Kim hits from the second tee during the final round of the LIV Golf Black Diamond Ranch golf tournament at Black Diamond Ranch.

Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC reacts to a putt at the 12th green on day one of LIV Golf Virginia at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on June 06, 2025, in Gainesville, Virginia.

Joaquin Niemann of Torque GC celebrates after winning day three of LIV Golf Virginia at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on June 08, 2025, in Gainesville, Virginia.

Louis Oosthuizen of Stinger GC tees off at the ninth hole on day two of LIV Golf Virginia at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on June 07, 2025, in Gainesville, Virginia.

British golfer Ian Poulter of Majesticks GC plays his shot from the second tee during the quarterfinals of the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Miami at Trump National Doral Miami golf club in Miami, Florida, on October 28, 2022.

Jon Rahm of Legion XIII poses with the LIV golf season individual trophy on day three of LIV Golf Indianapolis at The Club at Chatham Hills on August 17, 2025, in Westfield, Indiana.

South African golfer Charl Schwartzel celebrates with the trophy after winning the LIV Golf Invitational London at The Centurion Club on June 11, 2022. The $25 million event marked the launch of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, the richest tournament purse in golf history at the time.

Australia's Cameron Smith of Ripper GC plays a shot at the 5th tee during the first round of the LIV Golf Korea at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon on May 2, 2025.

USA's Bubba Watson watches his shot during the second day of the LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club in Adelaide on February 15, 2025.

Lee Westwood of Majesticks GC reacts to a putt on the 18th hole during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational - Orlando at The Orange County National on April 02, 2023, in Orlando, Florida.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

LIV Golf remains in the headlines as executives meet amid ongoing conversations about the future of the sport.

See the LIV golfers who continue to draw attention through both current competition and their place in the broader discussion.

Above, Byeong Hun An in action during the first round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club.

1 / 18

LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

LIV Golf remains in the headlines as executives meet amid ongoing conversations about the future of the sport.

See the LIV golfers who continue to draw attention through both current competition and their place in the broader discussion.

Above, Byeong Hun An in action during the first round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Paul Casey of Crushers GC chips onto the first green during the finals of the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship at The Cardinal at Saint John's Resort.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after winning in a playoff against Byeong-Hun An of South Korea during the final round of The Memorial Tournament Presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 3, 2018, in Dublin, Ohio.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Sergio Garcia plays his shot on the seventeenth hole from the eighth hole during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Tyrrell Hatton tees off on the first hole during the third round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Charles Howell III, Bryson DeChambeau and Paul Casey of the Crushers GC celebrate the Dallas LIV team championship during the final round of the LIV Golf Dallas golf tournament at Maridoe Golf Club.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Dustin Johnson lines up a putt on the 17th green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Martin Kaymer of team Cleeks Golf Club hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the LIV Golf Virginia golf tournament at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Anthony Kim hits from the second tee during the final round of the LIV Golf Black Diamond Ranch golf tournament at Black Diamond Ranch.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC reacts to a putt at the 12th green on day one of LIV Golf Virginia at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on June 06, 2025, in Gainesville, Virginia.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Joaquin Niemann of Torque GC celebrates after winning day three of LIV Golf Virginia at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on June 08, 2025, in Gainesville, Virginia.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Louis Oosthuizen of Stinger GC tees off at the ninth hole on day two of LIV Golf Virginia at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on June 07, 2025, in Gainesville, Virginia.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

British golfer Ian Poulter of Majesticks GC plays his shot from the second tee during the quarterfinals of the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Miami at Trump National Doral Miami golf club in Miami, Florida, on October 28, 2022.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Jon Rahm of Legion XIII poses with the LIV golf season individual trophy on day three of LIV Golf Indianapolis at The Club at Chatham Hills on August 17, 2025, in Westfield, Indiana.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

South African golfer Charl Schwartzel celebrates with the trophy after winning the LIV Golf Invitational London at The Centurion Club on June 11, 2022. The $25 million event marked the launch of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, the richest tournament purse in golf history at the time.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Australia's Cameron Smith of Ripper GC plays a shot at the 5th tee during the first round of the LIV Golf Korea at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon on May 2, 2025.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

USA's Bubba Watson watches his shot during the second day of the LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club in Adelaide on February 15, 2025.

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LIV Golf running out of time? Meet the players who define the league

Lee Westwood of Majesticks GC reacts to a putt on the 18th hole during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational - Orlando at The Orange County National on April 02, 2023, in Orlando, Florida.

Saudi Arabia's investment pivot is just disruption of deceit

Saudi Arabia also appears uninterested in re-upping as host of the WTA Finals beyond this year while Project B seems more of a theory than an actual women's basketball league. The PIF already sold Al Hilal, one of the most prominent teams in Saudi Arabia’s domestic soccer league.

LIV was never about upending the PGA Tour, as Mickelson said, or being a “force for change and good,” as DeChambeau once laughably claimed. It, just like all the PIF’s other sports ventures, was about getting the world to forget that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s hands are drenched in blood.

According to declassified U.S. intelligence documents, later contradicted by President Donald Trump, bin Salman ordered the murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and fierce regime critic. He’s blessed the expansion of the death penalty, with Saudi Arabia executing a record number of people for a second consecutive year in 2025. He’s jailed his critics and extended their sentences, often on trumped-up charges. He’s overseen the continued oppression of women and the LGTBQ community.

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud reacts during the joint European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in Brussels, Belgium on Oct. 16, 2024.

By splashing out billions for a glorified exhibition golf tour and welcoming F1 and the WTA to the kingdom, bin Salman was able to restyle himself as a cool dude with bold visions for his country. Nobody that innovative could be all bad, right?

Wrong.

The Saudi crown prince is as dangerous as ever — what was it Mickelson called his LIV partners? Oh right. “Scary (expletives)” — but LIV helped buy bin Salman enough time to get that side of himself out of the headlines. With that mission accomplished, there’s no reason to continue throwing billions at a tour that is never going to be a viable alternative to the PGA.

LIV and let die as tour outlasts its usefulness

There was a time, about when Rahm defected, that LIV appeared to pose an existential threat to the PGA. But there were too many big-name golfers, led by Rory McIlroy, who weren’t willing to sell their souls and legacies, and LIV’s roster was either too unlikeable, too past their prime or too “meh” to entice fans.

Dig deeper: LIV Golf’s uncertain future leaves Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and others in limbo

That, and LIV proved to be little more than the 18-hole equivalent of a putt-putt course.

Not enough people wanted to go to the events. Even fewer wanted to watch on TV. LIV’s initial 54-hole, team competition format turned out to be awful preparation for the majors. Two of its bigger names, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, have seen the light and are returning to the PGA.

Contrary to CEO Scott O’Neil’s optimism — LIV is “bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before” — LIV is a failing venture. But it's not because of its exorbitant costs, more than $5 billion in just four-plus seasons. Or the lack of energy it's generated among the general public.

It's because LIV has outlived its usefulness.

Whatever Mickelson and DeChambeau told themselves to sleep at night, no matter how many times Rahm checked his bank account, they were never anything more than accomplices in MBS’ sportswashing campaign.

And, as most stooges do, they’ve become expendable.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LIV Golf has outlived its usefulness to Saudi sportswashing campaign