Liv Golf leaked email sparks alarm online as uncertainty swirls

LIV Golf finds itself engulfed in turmoil following reports that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund may be withdrawing its financial support from the breakaway competition.

The Saudi-funded tour descended into disarray on Wednesday as speculation mounted about a potential shutdown, with anxious players and employees frantically seeking clarity about their futures.

Amid the uncertainty, an internal message from chief executive O'Neil leaked online, attempting to assure staff that operations would continue as normal.

The communication was swiftly ridiculed across social media platforms, with observers tearing apart both its tone and curious choice of language.

Particular scrutiny fell upon O'Neil's sign-off, which read: "It matters. You mattered. Now, let's go win."

The use of past tense immediately raised eyebrows among those following the saga. One fan questioned on X: "'You mattered' as the signoff here is either a bad typo or left uncorrected from a prior version of this email that was about the league ending?"

Another commenter pointed out that the message failed to address the central concern: "Not a word of this disputes reports that the PIF is pulling out."

Others branded the correspondence "laughably bad" and suggested it appeared to be AI-generated, with one user declaring it "one of the most unhinged things I have ever seen."

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Speculation about the league's future intensified this week after the Financial Times reported that the PIF was nearing a decision to end its backing.

The Telegraph separately indicated that senior figures had been summoned to an emergency gathering in New York.

Multiple player representatives have revealed they had been left completely uninformed about whether the controversial venture faced imminent abandonment.

Since launching in 2022, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund has poured close to $6billion into the project, which positioned itself as a direct challenger to both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

Despite the chaos surrounding the organisation, Thursday's event in Mexico City remains scheduled to proceed.

The competition is due to commence at 1:15pm local time, with the league's official X account posting defiantly: "Slow news day? We are ON. #LongLIVGolf".

The uncertainty arrives at a particularly turbulent moment for the tour's roster.

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka departed earlier this year to rejoin the PGA Tour, whilst former Masters winner Patrick Reed has also walked away and is currently competing on the DP World Tour as he seeks a return to the American circuit.