Category: Golf

The DP World Tour putting its G4D disabled tour in cold storage does not fit the growing the game narrative, the Englishman argues

Kipp Popert is a man on a mission. The 27-year‑old Englishman, who tops the disabled world rankings, uses one word a lot: “opportunity”. Popert was “shocked” to hear from the DP World Tour that its G4D circuit, which staged a handful of tournaments per year for disabled players between 2022 and 2025, has been placed into cold storage.

The G4D Open, a tournament for 80 golfers with disabilities, will be staged at Celtic Manor from Thursday. It takes place thousands of miles from Pennsylvania and this week’s US PGA Championship, which last year bestowed $3.4m (£2.5m) on Scottie Scheffler. Even the main platform for players in this domain does not offer prize money. It is not Popert’s way to lambast anyone. He instead calmly articulates the impact of that move.

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• LIV in race against time to survive without PIF funding

• McIlroy: ‘I was hearing about this in March, April time’

Rory McIlroy has revealed he heard rumblings of impending trouble for LIV Golf weeks before Saudi ­Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) ­confirmed it would withdraw funding for the circuit. The Masters champion believes the PIF approach highlights the danger of sport ­becoming reliant on anything that can be affected by world affairs.

LIV is engaged in a race against time to survive with PIF, which has bestowed more than $5bn (£3.7bn) on the tour, to exit at the end of 2026. News of that, which emerged in the immediate aftermath of ­McIlroy’s successful defence at Augusta National last month, shocked those within LIV but not the Northern Irishman.

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• ‘It’s going to be really hard … but how fun would that be?’

• Bradley is in field for this week’s PGA Championship

Keegan Bradley still reflects on the pain of captaining the United States to a home Ryder Cup defeat last year but says he would love to make the 2027 team as a player.

Bradley took full responsibility as his USA side endured a chastening first two days at Bethpage Black last September, slipping to a record 11.5-4.5 deficit, before a valiant fightback fell short.

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• Australian holds nerve in dramatic climax to event in Virginia

• ‘I didn’t help myself,’ says Herbert after seeing final-round lead slashed

Australian golf star Lucas Herbert has held his nerve to claim his maiden LIV Golf League title and secure a priceless ticket to next month’s US Open in New York.

Herbert had a five-shot final-round lead slashed to one before regaining his composure to see off the challenge of Spanish great Sergio Garcia in a dramatic climax to LIV Golf Virginia.

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• World No 2 is not against return: ‘Just good business’

• Circuit’s future is uncertain after Saudi withdrawal

• DeChambeau has denied claims of PGA Tour talks

Rory McIlroy is no longer opposed to LIV Golf players returning to the PGA Tour, but he said Friday that “it’s a question of if they do want to come back”.

McIlroy said the answer will probably depend on what happens with LIV’s financial situation in the coming months.

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• Circuit’s future is uncertain after Saudi withdrawal

• Two-time major champion also criticizes PGA Tour

Bryson DeChambeau insists he would focus on his YouTube channel should LIV Golf not survive.

The future of the Saudi-backed breakaway remains in doubt after the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced plans to withdraw financing at the end of the year, having spent more than $5.4bn on the venture since 2022.

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• Future of rebel tour in jeopardy after Saudi investment withdrawn

• Australian golfer laughs off retirement talk: ‘I’ve got a while yet’

Cam Smith has laughed off retirement rumours, and said he has been given “every assurance” LIV Golf will continue beyond this year.

The future of LIV – and Smith’s all-Australian Ripper GC team – is in jeopardy after Saudi Arabia withdrew funding of the breakaway league.

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• Spaniard will pay fines for previous event clashes

• Deal includes playing in agreed tournaments this year

Jon Rahm has revealed he has ended his dispute with the DP World Tour, which returns the Spaniard to contention for next year’s Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, but he played down the sense of golfers sharply exiting LIV. Rahm, who has been tipped to make a return to the PGA Tour, has cited tight contractual terms as a reason he and others are not completely in control of their own destiny.

The abrupt exit of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) from LIV – the Saudis will remove finance at the end of this year – has left the tour scrambling for alternative investment. Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau are LIV’s biggest names, whom many assumed would already be glancing towards a playing future elsewhere. Rahm urged caution.

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Can LIV find new backers and what are the options for Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Lee Westwood and others?

Confirmation that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will cease funding the LIV Golf tour will have huge ramifications, for the future of the tour itself, the players and across golf’s traditional heartlands. Where does PIF’s withdrawal leave them all?

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• PIF ends investment after five years and $5bn

• LIV announces new independent board in funding push

LIV Golf has launched its search for fresh investment in a race against time to save its future after official confirmation Saudi funding would cease at the end of the 2026 season.

Hours after LIV announced the creation of a new independent board minus Yasir al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, a PIF statement formally substantiated the rumours that it was pulling the plug on the start-up after around $5bn (£3.7bn) of investment.

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• LIV staring at closure in absence of alternative funds

• Leading names expected to eye return to main tours

LIV Golf executives are poised to confirm to players that Saudi Arabia’s funding of the circuit will cease at the end of 2026, in a move that will begin a scramble between some leading names in the sport to return to traditional tours.

Without an alternative and unlikely funding source from 2027 onwards, LIV in its current form is staring at closure just four years on from staging its first tournament. Nothing has materially changed for LIV in recent weeks yet formal admission of an upcoming Saudi exit will be viewed as a key moment in a disruption story that is heading towards a messy finale.

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• Tournament was due to take place from 25-28 June

• Louisiana expects LIV to return incentive funding

The LIV Golf event scheduled to be played in Louisiana in June has been postponed, state officials said on Tuesday.

News of the postponement comes less than two weeks after LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said the breakaway circuit’s 2026 season would proceed as planned amid reports that the series was at risk of losing its funding.

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• American led from first round at Memorial Park

• Korda leads rankings for first time since August

Nelly Korda won the Chevron Championship on Sunday with a performance worthy of her return to the No 1 ranking in women’s golf.

Holding a five-shot lead at the start of the final round, Korda was efficient as ever and no one could get closer than four shots all afternoon at Memorial Park. She closed with a two-under 70 for a five-shot victory to capture the third major of her career.

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• Furyk in line for second stint as US captain

• Woods steps aside after arrest and treatment

• Europe chasing third straight win in Ireland

Jim Furyk is returning as US Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland as the Americans try to get back on track against a European team that has dominated the last three decades, the Associated Press has learned.

Furyk would be the fourth US captain to get a second chance dating to 1979, considered the modern era of the Ryder Cup when continental Europe became part of it.

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