U.S. President Donald Trump Predicts LIV Golf Stars Will Return to PGA Tour After PIF Withdraws Funding

LIV Golf will lose their funding from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia after the end of the 2026 season.

U.S. President Donald Trump Predicts LIV Golf Stars Will Return to PGA Tour After PIF Withdraws Funding

Donald Trump (Image via Imago)

On Thursday, the LIV Golf officially announced that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia will withdraw their funding after the 2026 season. Following this bombshell development, U.S. President Donald Trump shared his thoughts and predicted that LIV Golf stars would return to the PGA Tour.

LIV Golf was founded in 2021 with the backing of PIF. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who serves as the governor of the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, founded the breakaway golf tour alongside 2-time major champion Greg Norman.

The tour would then bring in some of the biggest names of golf from the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour to LIV Golf. High-profile stars like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau reportedly signed 9-figure contracts.

With their formation, the golf world was divided. The likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods stayed loyal to the PGA Tour while others jumped ship. After a merger was announced in June 2023, the tours had been working on the reunification of the game.

A few days after the 2026 Masters Tournament, reports emerged that the PIF was pulling the plug on LIV Golf. The loss of funding from the Saudis is a major blow to the breakaway tour. This development has led some of LIV golfers to reach out to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour about a potential return.

On Wednesday, reports emerged that Al-Rumayyan had stepped down from his post as the chairman of the league. Reports also claimed that the LIV members will be informed about the changes in leadership on Thursday.

After their statement on Thursday, reporters at the Oval Office asked Trump about his thoughts. The U.S. President, who is a massive golf fan, believes that the game will be reunited one day, with everyone returning to the PGA Tour.

I want to see Rory (McIlroy) playing Bryson DeChambeau. I want to see big Jon Rahm playing Scottie, who is so great. … There’s something nice about all of the players playing together. … The tour wants to have the best players. You can’t have the best player that they’re boycotting now. They may do something, you know, a little bit, but they’ll all be back on tour, and it’ll be great.

Donald Trump told the reporters

Earlier this year, Brooks Koepka returned to the PGA Tour after spending 4 seasons with LIV Golf. The 5-time major champion was reinstated through the Returning Member Program.

A few days later, Patrick Reed also left the LIV circuit. The former Masters Champion, however, had a different pathway and will return to the PGA Tour next year. He, though, is eligible to play in the later events this year.

Sportscaster Stephen A. Smith points fingers at PGA Tour for creating the LIV Golf situation

Amid the ongoing LIV Golf saga, Stephen A. Smith dropped a major take. The sportscaster blamed the PGA Tour for creating this whole situation.

Stephen A. Smith
Stephen A. Smith (Image via The New York Times)

In the recent episode of First Take on ESPN, the 58-year-old claimed that LIV Golfers were forced to find better opportunities for themselves. He believes that the PGA Tour should welcome back the LIV Golf stars without any penalties.

The players didn’t want to leave the PGA. They were forced to because they were looking for better opportunities based on how they were treated. And we know this because the PGA stepped in afterward, once LIV came into existence, and expressed a willingness to make modifications. They knew they had done the players wrong.

Stephen A. Smith said regarding PGA Tour and LIV Golf

Smith, who is known for his hot takes, found himself under backlash once again. Many social media users thrashed him for this, with some urging him to stick to sports he knows well.

PGA Tour star Michael Kim also hit back at him. In a tweet on X, the 1-time PGA Tour labeled Smith’s comments as “horrendous take.“

What a horrendous take

Michael Kim said regarding Stephen A. Smith on X

At the moment, LIV Golf is scheduled to take part in the LIV Golf Virginia event at the Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., next week. However, their event in Louisiana in June has been postponed to a later date.

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