The future, funding, format and Bryson. LIV Golf CEO reacts to uncertainty facing his tour

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Hector Vivas

As LIV restructures, a pertinent question becomes how it can retain its biggest names if the prize purses were reduced; LIV counts Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith among its group.

“Our view of what got the players here—I wasn't here when most of the players came in—I have been here when players have come in, and they're coming for very different reasons,” O’Neil said. “I'd encourage [you to] ask them why they're here. Some of them, sure, came for money. Others are here for very different reasons, and I appreciate that.

“You've got 57 players from 21 different countries all looking for something in their lives … others are chasing fame, others are chasing legacy and career, others are looking for more predictability and a schedule. There are a whole host of others that want to travel the world. So, I definitely don't want to take 57 guys and pigeonhole them into what they care about. I think that would be irresponsible.”

If LIV golfers were to supplement their schedules with other tours, O’Neil said he would not stand in their way. On Tuesday, Rahm announced he and the DP World Tour had come to an agreement for the Spaniard to continue playing on the European circuit after settling his fines for playing in conflicting events.

“We have never, since our inception, ever restricted our players,” O’Neil said. “That's from bans, from fines, not us. Nope, go play where you want to play. We believe in free golf, free agency of golf.

“We believe that players should play when they want and where they want so long as they sign up for these 14, and we'll be sticking to that.”

One topic O’Neil was somewhat clearer on was whether there will be competitive changes to the league in 2027.

“We've changed pretty dramatically in my two seasons here, and I've been on the record saying the format changes won't stop, and we'll continue to evolve to optimize the business,” O’Neil said. “So I would not be surprised to see a continued evolution in our format.”

Finally, O’Neil was queried about LIV’s biggest drawcard, two-time U.S. Open champion DeChambeau.

“You want to talk about a business partner, we're literally talking about the future of LIV Golf, I'm talking with him about how does he see, not just the golf, but the business,” O’Neil said. “He's smart, he's driven, he's committed, and he's a heck of a partner.”