LIV golfer says he won't return to PGA Tour, reveals internal discussions, whether players were paid
LIV Golf is facing a funding cut as the Saudi Public Investment Fund pulls out
PGA Tour announcer Doug Bell discusses reports that the Saudi Public Investment Fund will stop sponsoring the LIV Golf league after the current season, putting its future at risk. LIV Golf has experienced reported losses of between $6 and $9 billion since its launch in 2021, surprising many agents and players. This significant financial change underscores a broad re-examination of Saudi Arabia's investment priorities.
Midway through the 2026 season, LIV Golf is at a crossroads.
The segregated golf tour is facing major financial challenges, as the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) will no longer reimburse the league and its expensive contracts. That funding was instrumental in getting stars like Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm to leave the PGA Tour, as well as the ability to host several events in international locations.
Although rumors are rife about the future of the tour, chief executive Scott O'Neil expressed the public's confidence that the season will go ahead as planned. Soon after, the date announced in Louisiana was canceled. With the PIF backing up to the end of the 2026 season, LIV actually needs to find new investors to continue as a rival tour.
That financial reality has led to speculation about the future of LIV players. Will the PGA Tour open a new system with penalties similar to those Brooks Koepka faced on his return? Will other players have to get their PGA card, as Patrick Reed is currently trying to do?
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How it plays out throughout the program remains to be seen, but there is one LIV golfer who, strictly speaking, has no interest in returning to the PGA Tour no matter what.
Thomas Pieters tees off the first hole during the final round of LIV Golf Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Ind., on Aug. 17, 2025. (Marc Lebryk/Imagn Images)
Thomas Pieters is done with the PGA Tour
Thomas Pieters, who won seven times as a professional, mostly on the European Tour, spoke with Dan Rappaport in a new interview for “Dan on Golf” reflect on the future of LIV and how it relates to the PGA Tour. And he was adamant that his time as a PGA member was over, no matter what happened next.
“I'll never go back to the PGA Tour. I never liked that life,” Pieters said. “And I'm not going to go on the PGA Tour, it's not for me. I tried and I wasn't happy there. If (LIV) leaves, maybe I'll try to play on the European Tour or I don't know. I really don't know.
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“I'm not too worried about it right now because I feel like I still have a job to focus on in the next six, seven tournaments at LIV and then we'll see. Obviously they're trying to put it together next year. I think he knows more than me now, so we'll see.”
Thomas Pieters of 4Aces Golf Club hits the third green during the second round of LIV Golf in Indianapolis, Ind., on Aug. 16, 2025. (Marc Lebryk/Imagn Images)
Pieters also addressed rumors that LIV players were unpaid at the Mexico City event, saying “We won, or we get paid.”
As for the first quarter payments, Pieters said they could be “a week late,” although “some got it early, some got it a week late.” He then added, jokingly, “I'm not sure all these guys check their bank accounts every two seconds.”
Rappaport asked him what LIV is telling the players internally about upcoming negotiations, and surprisingly, Pieters said they don't get more information than the public.
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“Not much. I think anything that officially comes out of LIV is what we get half a day before it ends. I know Scott tells us that he's obviously going to a wider market and trying to fund this next year. I think it's a big challenge, but we have to wait and see.”
Pieters, who is refreshingly honest, also said it was “100% accurate” that he wasn't too worried about LIV's future because his idea was to enjoy the big financial rewards while it was going. He went on to say that he will eventually be out of the game, so he is not worried about when it will end.
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Thomas Pieters lines up a putt on the 11th green during the final round of LIV Golf Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Ind., on Aug. 17, 2025. (Marc Lebryk/Imagn Images)
One of the advantages LIV had over the PGA Tour, beyond the signing bonuses and larger purses, was the reduced schedule. Instead of a weekly grind, where players finish on Sunday and leave quickly to start preparing for the next tournament, the events are broadcast more. Several players cited that extra rest and time at home as a key motivation for leaving. Pieters apparently agrees with them.
What happens to LIV and its players later this year will be a very interesting story in the golf world. Many fans were clamoring for the two sides to unite again. But if that happens, it sounds like Thomas Pieters won't be with them.
