Saudi Public Investment Fund to Stop Funding LIV Golf After 2026 Season

Introduction

LIV Golf is expected to officially inform its staff and players that the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) will stop providing financial support after the 2026 season ends.

Main Body

The decision to stop funding comes because the PIF has changed its strategy to focus more on spending within Saudi Arabia rather than on international sports. This shift is reportedly caused by political instability in the region, particularly the growing tension between the United States and Iran. Since the league started in 2022, it has lost an estimated $5 billion. Furthermore, it has failed to attract a large enough television audience in the U.S., despite working with networks like Fox and the CW. Although CEO Scott O'Neil emphasized that the current season is fully funded and is looking for new private investors, the league is facing problems. For example, the New Orleans event was postponed due to weather concerns and scheduling conflicts with the FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, the situation for the players is becoming very uncertain. Some famous golfers, such as Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, have already left the league. This creates a risky situation for stars like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, whose contracts are about to expire. While the DP World Tour is open to talking with these players, the PGA Tour remains more strict. PGA Tour leaders asserted that players who broke the rules must be held accountable, meaning that any return to the tour would be decided on a case-by-case basis and could involve heavy fines.

Conclusion

LIV Golf will continue to operate through 2026, but its long-term survival depends on finding new investors.

Learning

⚡ THE POWER SHIFT: From 'Simple' to 'Nuanced'

To move from A2 to B2, you must stop using basic verbs like say or think and start using Precision Verbs. Look at how the text describes people's actions. It doesn't just say "The leaders said...", it says:

"PGA Tour leaders asserted that players..."

Why this matters: Asserted is a B2-level word. It doesn't just mean "said"; it means they said it with strong confidence and authority.


🛠️ UPGRADING YOUR VOCABULARY

Let's swap "A2-style" phrases found in the text for "B2-style" alternatives to make you sound more professional:

A2 (Basic)B2 (Advanced/Precise)Context from Article
Change in planShift in strategyThe PIF changed how it spends money.
Not sure/unclearUncertainThe players' future is not clear.
Bad/DangerousRiskyThe situation for Jon Rahm is dangerous.
Be responsibleBe held accountablePlayers must pay for their mistakes.

🧩 CONNECTING IDEAS (The 'Logic' Bridge)

B2 speakers don't use short, choppy sentences. They use Connectors to show the relationship between two ideas. Notice these two from the text:

  1. "Furthermore" \rightarrow Use this instead of "And" or "Also" when adding a second, more important point (e.g., LIV lost money. Furthermore, nobody watched it on TV).
  2. "Despite" \rightarrow Use this to show a surprising contrast.
    • Example: "Despite working with Fox, they failed to attract an audience."
    • A2 version: "They worked with Fox, but they failed."

💡 PRO TIP: Use Despite + [Noun/Verb-ing] to instantly sound more fluent in your writing.

Vocabulary Learning

funding (n.)
money given to support a project / the financial resources provided to an organization資金提供
Example:The league's funding came from the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
strategy (n.)
a plan of action to achieve a goal / a systematic plan策略
Example:The PIF's strategy shifted to focus on domestic spending.
focus (v.)
to concentrate one's attention on something / to direct attention專注
Example:The company will focus on local markets.
instability (n.)
the state of being unstable / lack of steadiness不穩定
Example:Political instability has affected the region.
tension (n.)
mental or emotional strain / a state of nervousness緊張
Example:The tension between the US and Iran is growing.
estimated (adj.)
roughly calculated / approximated估計的
Example:The loss was estimated at $5 billion.
attract (v.)
to draw interest or attention / to lure吸引
Example:The league failed to attract a large audience.
emphasized (v.)
to give special importance to / to highlight強調
Example:The CEO emphasized that the season is fully funded.
postponed (v.)
to delay to a later date / to push back推遲
Example:The event was postponed due to weather concerns.
conflicts (n.)
disagreements or clashes / clashes衝突
Example:Scheduling conflicts arose with the World Cup.
risky (adj.)
involving risk / dangerous危險的
Example:It creates a risky situation for the stars.
contracts (n.)
a written agreement between parties合約
Example:Their contracts are about to expire.
strict (adj.)
demanding high standards / rigid嚴格的
Example:The PGA Tour is more strict.
accountable (adj.)
required to justify actions / responsible負責任的
Example:Players who broke the rules must be held accountable.
survival (n.)
the state of continuing to exist / the ability to endure生存
Example:Its survival depends on new investors.