Scott O’Neil needs to catch his breath when attempting to rattle off a list of accomplishments in his first year as the CEO of the LIV Golf League.
He took over the job from Greg Norman in January, and LIV Golf is now speeding ahead into what will be—remarkably—its fifth season.
There was a Fox TV deal and attendance gains at several tournament sites and new sponsorship signings and an update to how some players access the league and even a change that will see LIV Golf go to 72-hole events in 2026.
But ask him for a disappointment from his first year of leadership and O’Neil doesn’t hesitate.
“World ranking points,” O’Neil recently told Sports Illustrated. “Still a work in progress. Conversations are still continuing. I’m very impressed with Trevor Immelman as a leader. He has the four majors, the PGA Tour and the European Tour (DP World Tour) on his board. That’s a complicated group to wrangle. I’m very hopeful on Dec. 31 I’ll have a different answer.”
And therein, quickly, O’Neil tackles a complicated issue that has hung over the league since its 2022 inception as an eight-tournament individual series.
O’Neil began a dialogue early in his tenure with Immelman, the 2008 Masters champion who is also the lead analyst for CBS Golf. He was a surprise selection to start in April as chairman of the Official World Golf Ranking board of directors.
Immelman doesn’t have a vote among the seven board members—four are the heads of the four major championships and there are three others from the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and International Federation of Tours. But he has been seen as someone willing to bridge all sides to some kind of conclusion.
LIV Golf resubmitted its application on June 30,after first being denied in October of 2023, and the wait for accreditation continues.
That's but one of the myriad issues O’Neil faced in his first year on the job. Last week, LIV Golf made O’Neil available to various golf media outlets, and in a 25-minute conversation with SI, the OWGR topic was broached quickly, if not thoroughly.
“Trevor and I have agreed we will keep our conversations between us,” O’Neil said. “The tenor is constructive and positive.”
LIV's challenges extend beyond the OWGR
But without prompting, O’Neil brought up another sticky topic that continues to plague LIV Golf: fines from the DP World Tour.
When DP World Tour members such as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin and others play in conflicting LIV Golf events, they are subject to suspensions and fines. The amounts vary based on the event but it was an issue that a UK arbitration panel ruled on in April of 2023, allowing the tour to enforce its conflicting events rules. Some fines are believed to be in excess of $100,000 per event.
Rahm and Hatton have never paid any fines, having appealed the issue that remains unresolved.
LIV Golf has said it would stop paying fines for its players starting in 2026. And that is why O’Neil has made the issue a priority, saying that one of his goals is “ending the fines we get from the European Tour. Every time a member plays one of our events they are fined. Hopefully we can come to an agreement there.”
O’Neil offered no details but suggested he’s had discussions with DP World Tour representatives. With the fines falling to the players, it is possible to see some movement, as the DP World Tour just experienced a strong fall with several LIV Golf players participating.
Those are just a few of the myriad things O’Neil has to contemplate as the calendar turns and the new schedule is set to begin in February in Riyadh and Adelaide.
LIV Golf's 2026 outlook
The entire 14-tournament schedule has yet to be announced, with 11 tournaments scheduled, but none in North America prior to the Masters. LIV Golf has leaned into its international markets and saw attendance gains year over year in places such as Australia and the United Kingdom, touting its on-site experience and selling out tickets and hospitality.
Prior to the first 2026 tournament, however, is LIV Golf’ Promotions Event which will be played in the United States for the first time. The tournament will be staged next month in Florida at Black Diamond Ranch, and two players will earn a spot with LIV Golf in 2026 with the top 10 earning exempt status on the Asian Tour’s International Series.
But the move from the Middle East to Florida has caused an issue with the PGA Tour, which has determined the event to be unauthorized for its members due to North America media rights rules. (The PGA Tour does not allow its members to compete in LIV events and even non-members are subject to a one-year ban from any PGA Tour-sanctioned event if they compete in an unauthorized event.)
“After 11 months as CEO of LIV, I’m not sure anything surprises me anymore,” O’Neil said. “I guess the word would be 'disappointed.'”
O'Neil tries to extend an olive branch
O’Neil has sought a more cooperative rather than combative tone compared to his predecessor, Norman. He’s reached out to Immelman, for example, and Guy Kinnings of the DP World Tour and there has been some communication with the PGA Tour and new CEO Brian Rolapp.
But there appears to have been no movement in negotiations between the Public Investment Fund, which backs LIV Golf, and the PGA Tour. Like Rolapp, O’Neil has said he welcomes a deal if it benefits both parties. For now, it seems the sides are going their separate ways.
“I thought this year was pretty special,” O’Neil said. “Take out the learning I went through and embracing and engaging the game. Been working with extraordinary people. That part has been wonderful. There’s also been a more positive and less nasty narrative shift. Coming in with an ounce of humility and a big smile and going door-to-door and talking about mission and what we stand for.
“We’ve expanded pathways to the League, the Open and U.S. Open recognized us and our schedule (by giving direct exemptions). That was meaningful.
“And we’ve had an emergence of a new young core of young-types. (Caleb) Surratt. (David) Puig. McKibbin. (Josele) Ballester. I guess you could include Jaoco (Joaquin Niemann, who won five times on LIV Golf this year), although I put him in a star category.”
O’Neil touted ticket sales and hospitality increases at several venues, and it appears the league has made an effort to make more inroads in local communities.
LIV Golf's finances are still a wild card
After having virtually no sponsorship for the first few seasons outside of PIF-affiliated companies, LIV announced various deals this past year with the likes of Salesforce, HSBC, Qualcomm, Reebok, Porsche, Callaway, Ping and others.
It's unclear how much those various deals will stop the bleeding of a league that has spent several billion dollars over its four-year existence. The PIF is worth some $800 billion and can afford the losses, but its stated goals have always centered around a long-term plan to profitability.
So far, none of the 13 franchises has been sold and the domestic media rights deal with FOX has been described as far less than lucrative.
And according to a recent Money in Sports newsletter, the PIF’s investment in LIV has reached $5 billion, with another $113 million recently committed to LIV Golf Investments.
But LIV Golf shows no signs of slowing down. Although the big up-front signing bonuses appear to have waned, LIV recently announced player signings of Victor Perez and Laurie Canter.
It is not clear if the league will go beyond its 54 players for the coming season, but it remains possible that it could add teams or players in the future.
“The great thing about running a four-year league like LIV Golf is you can never say never,” O’Neil said. “We will continue to do what we think will grow opportunities. We’re looking at a whole host of things. We’re talking about a lot of options we might explore.”
First things first. The 14-event schedule needs to be completed, with three events still to be determined.
Next month’s Promotions Event will bring two new players to the league, but how they participate is still unclear.
O’Neil continues to work on the fine situation with the DP World Tour.
And, perhaps, biggest of all: getting OWGR accreditation. A decision on that looms.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LIV Golf CEO Says the League's Biggest Disappointment is Obvious.