Donald Trump predicts that LIV Golf players will return to the PGA Tour following the Saudi Public Investment Fund's decision to end funding for LIV Golf after the 2026 season. He emphasized the importance of having top players compete together.
Key points
Trump predicts LIV Golf players will return to PGA Tour
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will end funding in 2026
Trump emphasizes the importance of top players competing together
He mentioned specific players like Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau
Mentioned in this story
Donald TrumpLIV GolfPGA TourSaudi Public Investment Fund
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the sports' best players belong on the same stage.
âI want to see Rory (McIlroy) playing Bryson DeChambeau. I want to see big Jon Rahm playing Scottie Scheffler,â Trump said. âThatâs why the Masters was so good, because you saw everybody together.â
âTheyâll all be back on tour, and itâll be great,â he said.
He said fans had clearly made their preference known.
âItâs almost like people want to see that, âTrump said of a unified field. âThe tour wants to have the best players. You canât have the best players if theyâre boycotting.â
His comments came on the same day as the PIF confirmed it will end its funding of LIV Golf. In a statement, the PIF said the investment required is no longer consistent with the fundâs investment strategy. Saudi Arabia has invested more than $5 billion into the league since itâs 2022 launch.
Why did Donald Trump predict LIV Golf players will return to the PGA Tour?
Trump believes that the best players in golf should compete on the same stage, especially after the Saudi Fund's announcement to stop funding LIV Golf.
When will the Saudi Public Investment Fund stop funding LIV Golf?
The Saudi Public Investment Fund will end its funding of LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season.
What did Trump say about the competition between golfers?
Trump expressed a desire to see top golfers like Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau compete against each other, highlighting the excitement of such matchups.
What impact does Trump's prediction have on the future of LIV Golf?
Trump's prediction suggests a potential shift in the golf landscape, as the end of LIV Golf funding could lead to its players seeking to rejoin the PGA Tour.
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The financial pressure on the PIF is not just about golf. The Iran War has compounded Saudi Arabiaâs financial situation, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz cutting Saudi oil exports nearly in half.
Trump acknowledged uncertainty about LIVâs future while stopping short of calling for the tour to fold.
âI donât know whatâs happening with LIV,â Trump said. âI am not sure whatâs happening with LIV.â
Trump has financial stakes on both sides of professional golf. The PGA Tourâs Cadillac Championship is currently being played at his Doral course in Miami. LIV is scheduled to play at his Potomac course in Northern Virginia in two weeks.
LIV Golf unveiled a new independent board of directors on April 30 and confirmed it is seeking long-term financial partners to salvage the organizationâs future beyond the 2026 season. LIV CEO Scott OâNeil had previously guaranteed that the 2026 season would continue uninterrupted. A tournament in New Orleans scheduled for June 25-28 at Bayou Oaks was postponed just days before the Saudiâs announcement.
The PGA Tour and LIV had been in merger talks in 2023, but the deadline to finalize that framework passed on Dec. 31 of that year and have been stalled since.
Brooks Koepka returned to the PGA Tour in January after four seasons at LIV and Patrick Reed announced he would seek reinstatement for the 2027 season. The window for DeChambeau, Rahm and Cameron Smith to return under the tourâs Returning Member Program expired in February with all three electing to stay with LIV. That program was not expected to be renewed.
For those players who stayed, the road back could be complicated.
Trump said he believes the sport will ultimately be better when all the top players are back on one tour.
âThereâs no pointâ in keeping them separate, he said. âTheyâre great players."
