Trump weighs in on LIV Golf, PGA Tour after Saudis pull funding of startup league

As LIV Golf formally announced Thursday that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund volition nary longer money the startup league, President Donald Trump is excited for what whitethorn travel retired of it.

With LIV's monetary aboriginal successful question beyond 2026, reports accidental that golfers who defected from the PGA Tour for LIV privation to reverse course.

Trump believes that would beryllium affirmative for the sport.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

President Donald Trump reacts arsenic helium walks connected the people astatine the ribbon-cutting ceremonial astatine a caller 18-hole people astatine Trump International Golf Links connected July 29, 2025 successful Balmedie, adjacent Aberdeen, Scotland. President Trump is visiting Scotland successful a travel that’s part-vacation, part-work, arsenic helium stayed astatine his Trump Turnberry play course, followed by Trump International Golf Links successful Aberdeenshire, betwixt July 25 to 29. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

"I bash judge that each of the golfers should beryllium playing against each other. They were viewing thing arsenic a monopoly, but it’s swaying away. It should beryllium the other of a monopoly," Trump told reporters astatine the Oval Office Thursday.

"I privation to spot Rory [McIlroy] playing Bryson DeChambeau. I privation to spot large Jon Rahm playing Scottie, who is truthful great. Scottie Scheffler is great. They person large players connected LIV, but it’s astir similar radical privation to spot that. That's wherefore the Masters was truthful bully due to the fact that you saw everybody together."

"The Tour wants to person the champion players. You can't person the champion subordinate that they're boycotting now. They whitethorn bash something, you know, a small bit, but they'll each beryllium backmost connected circuit and it'll beryllium great. I don't cognize what's happening with LIV. I’m not definite what’s happening with LIV, but they are playing astatine my people successful 2 weeks connected the Potomac, beauteous course. But close present [the PGA Tour] astatine Doral, which I own."

LIV CEO Scott O'Neil reportedly sent an email to his staff amid the archetypal reports of backing that the play would spell "exactly arsenic planned, uninterrupted and astatine afloat throttle," but plans seemingly changed. LIV announced its June tourney successful New Orleans was postponed with a day to beryllium determined.

The league announced Thursday "new committee appointments arsenic the league focuses connected securing semipermanent fiscal partners to enactment its transition from a foundational motorboat signifier to a diversified, multi-partner concern model."

Team Captain Bryson DeChambeau shakes hands with erstwhile President Donald Trump connected the 4th spread during the pro-am earlier the LIV Golf Invitational astatine Trump National Golf Club Bedminster successful Bedminster, N.J., connected July 28, 2022. (Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf)

STEPHEN A SMITH BLAMES PGA TOUR FOR LIV GOLF SAGA, MORONICALLY SAYS DEFECTORS SHOULDN'T FACE ANY PUNISHMENT

"PIF has made the determination to money LIV Golf lone for the remainder of the 2026 season," their connection began. "The important concern required by LIV Golf implicit a longer word is nary longer accordant with the existent signifier of PIF's concern strategy. This determination has been made successful airy of PIF's concern priorities and existent macro dynamics.

"The LIV Golf Board has created a committee of autarkic directors to measure strategical alternatives for its aboriginal beyond PIF's backing horizon. LIV Golf has substantially grown the crippled globally done its transformational and affirmative impact. It has everlastingly changed the crippled of play for the better."

The PIF reportedly injected northbound of $1 cardinal into LIV Golf successful 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. With the $266 cardinal injection to statesman the caller year, an summation successful prize funds for the play and the nett walk of $100 cardinal per month, the Saudi PIF's cumulative concern was acceptable to scope $6 cardinal by the extremity of 2026.

LIV began successful 2022 and has produced 2 large winners in Brooks Koepka, who has since rejoined the PGA Tour, astatine the 2023 PGA Championship, and DeChambeau astatine the 2024 U.S. Open.

LIV Golf shifted from its 54-hole format, a gully for golfers defecting from the PGA Tour, to a 72-hole format opening this season. Patrick Reed is also set to rejoin the PGA Tour.

Former President Donald Trump leaves the archetypal tee aft the commencement of the last circular of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tourney successful Bedminster, New Jersey, connected July 31, 2022. (Seth Wenig/AP)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

There are 7 remaining events connected the 2026 LIV Golf schedule, with the adjacent acceptable to instrumentality spot astatine Trump National successful Virginia opening connected May 7. They volition beryllium astatine Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey people successful July.

OutKick's Mark Harris contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.