Sergio Garcia responds to LIV Golf rumours as PIF reportedly plan to cut funding

By Scott Hunt, Press Association

Sergio Garcia said LIV Golf players will only listen to what the chairman tells them amid rumours that the future of the Saudi Arabia-backed league is in doubt.

The breakaway league launched in 2021 and sent shockwaves through the sport, positioning itself as a rival to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

LIV attracted some of golf’s biggest names, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson before leading European players such as Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton also joined.

Rumours over its future began to swirl this week, with the Financial Times reporting that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) was close to cutting its backing and the Telegraph suggesting executives had been called to an “emergency meeting” in New York.

Former Masters winner Sergio Garcia, one of the captains of the LIV teams, was asked about the speculation ahead of this week’s event in Mexico City.

“Honestly, we haven’t heard anything other than what Yasir (Al-Rumayyan, LIV Golf chairman) told us at the beginning of the year,” Garcia said at a press conference.

“That he’s behind us, that they have a long-term project. And well, honestly, you know how these rumours are. There are always a lot of them. And I can’t tell you anything more than what we already know.”

When contacted by the Press Association, LIV reiterated that executives are focused on this week’s event in Mexico.