Andy DevaneyLIV Golf New York begins at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on Thursday with 57 players, four days of competition and a rather larger question hanging over the first tee than who might lead after round one.
On the eve of the event, chief executive Scott O’Neil said the league had agreed terms with a lead investor intended to fund its next phase from 2027.
LIV Golf’s Investor Deal Moves Into View
O’Neil said a term sheet had been signed and approved by the LIV Golf board, with the parties aiming to complete the transaction in September. The investor’s identity, the financial terms and the precise closing timetable remain private.
That leaves the announcement in familiar deal-making territory: meaningful, potentially decisive, but not yet money in the bank. A signed term sheet is a substantial step. It is not the same thing as a completed transaction, however neatly the bunting has been arranged.
“This is a moment that we’re very happy about, that we’re thrilled to announce, that we’re proud to be a part of,” O’Neil said on the eve of Thursday’s opening round of LIV Golf New York. “It’s certainly an investor of weight, and we’re all locked in on making it happen.”
Scott O’Neil Outlines LIV Golf’s 2027 Future
The league says more than a dozen other parties have shown “strong interest” in taking minority stakes. O’Neil’s position was characteristically brisk: “We don’t need them, but we have the opportunity to do it,” he said.
Asked whether the 2027 season would go ahead once the lead investment was finalised, O’Neil answered in the affirmative before adding: “And ’28 and ’29 and ’30.”
The proposed model is a tighter 10-event schedule, split between five team majors around the world and five signature tournaments, including several in the United States.
O’Neil also said players would have the opportunity to become majority equity holders in what the league is calling LIV Golf 2.0. That is the more intriguing strategic detail. Giving players a larger ownership stake could bind leading names more closely to the competition while shifting LIV from a centrally financed disruptor towards something resembling a stakeholder league.
Bedminster Returns to Centre Stage
For now, the business talk gives way to golf. The first round starts on Thursday, 6 August, at Bedminster, where the course again provides LIV with a suitably imposing stage. Gates open at 11 am and the shotgun start is scheduled for 1.05 pm.
Start times from Thursday to Saturday have been brought forward by 10 minutes. It is a small operational adjustment, though golf has built entire afternoons around the discovery that 10 minutes can matter rather more than expected.
Wednesday’s pro-am offered players, celebrity guests and partners a final look at the course. Anthony Kim was among those involved, appearing with Tyler Appleby, Tampa Bay Lightning left winger Brandon Hagel and Turner Ellis Tenney.
Rahm, DeChambeau and Smith Headline Round One
Two featured groups will begin from the first hole. Cam Smith, Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm start at 1.05 pm, followed at 1.16 pm by Lucas Herbert, Bryson DeChambeau and Joaquin Niemann.
It is a strong opening sequence: major champions, team captains and some of the league’s most recognisable players packed into 11 minutes. The format does not allow for much ceremonial loitering. Everyone begins at once, the leaderboard fills quickly and any early stumble is immediately public.
LIV Golf New York Carries Stakes Beyond the Leaderboard
The immediate contest is individual and team golf. The larger story is whether LIV can turn Wednesday’s announcement into a completed investment and a credible long-term structure.
Bedminster will supply the shots, noise and familiar theatre. September may provide the more consequential result. For LIV Golf, the next era will not be decided by a putt on the 18th green, but by a signature on the final page.
