As CEO Scott O\u2019Neil leads LIV Golf into its next chapter, his goal for the league and its place in golf\u2019s ecosystem is simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cComplete, not compete.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a phrase he referenced multiple times Wednesday during a pre-tournament press conference at this week\u2019s LIV Golf Indianapolis Championships, the final event of the 2026 season. He hopes the various golf leagues can work together moving forward, provide all players with the opportunities they seek, and end whatever divisiveness has existed since 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time to move forward,\u201d O\u2019Neil said. \u201cLet\u2019s once again put the game first. I spent time over the last several weeks speaking with many of the guardians and stewards of the game of golf, and I heard a real appetite to put the parochial friction of the past behind us. I want to be crystal clear \u2013 that\u2019s what LIV Golf wants.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe philosophy is simple; if you\u2019ve been around me before, you\u2019ve heard it. It\u2019s complete, not compete. Golf doesn\u2019t need one tour to win and everyone else to lose. There are great tours around the world. They serve different purposes. We believe players should have the flexibility to compete across these platforms when they are good enough and enhance the fields.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t live in a world where one group of golfers is uniquely restricted from playing elsewhere. Our goal isn\u2019t to replace or restrict any tour. Our mission is to bring something distinctive to the ecosystem that elevates it and makes the whole game better. More markets, younger, next-gen global fans, more sponsors, more opportunities for players, more great golf \u2013 and, of course, a lot more fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
RELATED: The 2026 LIV Golf season wraps up this week at the LIV Golf Indianapolis Championship<\/a><\/p>\n O\u2019Neil was named the league\u2019s CEO in January 2025, so he was not part of the league\u2019s early start-up years, although he remembers its ambitions of creating something new in the sport, creating additional opportunities for players, and showcasing their talents around the world in hopes of growing the game.<\/p>\n Those well-meaning ambitions remain, but the league itself will operate differently starting in 2027.<\/p>\n \u25cf It will be player-led, with the players owning majority equity in their teams. \u201cPlayers aren\u2019t simply playing for LIV Golf,\u201d O\u2019Neil explained. \u201cThey have an opportunity to own. They get equity in what they\u2019re building. They regain a majority of their commercial rights, and teams become real businesses with real assets. And for the first time, the interests of the league and the players become truly aligned around building long-term value together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25cf It will be commercially disciplined. O\u2019Neil said the changes will be \u201cunrecognisable\u201d from a fan standpoint, but from a business standpoint, \u201cWe\u2019ve created an opportunity to have a profitable league and continue to have profitable teams. \u2026 It\u2019s about building LIV into a sustainable sports business for the longer term.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25cf It will be globally relevant. Fueled by successes this year in Adelaide, Australia (115,000 fans) and South Africa (100,000 fans), the league plans to schedule Team Championship events on five continents and in harmony with the global golf calendar. O\u2019Neil said the league will also lean more heavily into teams having a national identity, much like the all-Australian Ripper GC, all-South African Southern Guards, the all-English Majesticks GC, all-Spanish Fireballs GC, Latin-American Torque GC and the self-named Korean Golf Club.<\/p>\n \u25cf And it will be built to last. Two weeks ago at LIV Golf New York, the league announced its agreement with a lead investor; on Wednesday, O\u2019Neil provided an update: \u201cWe\u2019re well on our way to a transaction.\u201d The investor met with the players this week, a meeting that O\u2019Neil described as \u201ceverything I hoped it would be. You have a visionary, charismatic, driven, well-connected leader, investor, businessman who answered questions with grace, shared his vision, and I think was able to convey a lot of the things that players and GMs and my colleagues wanted to hear. It was a fantastic meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Neil said he senses a real desire across the leadership of the game to come together and start building for the next 25 years. He realises that there will be competition among organisations but believes that cooperation can coexist. He plans to position LIV Golf as a league that will work with all others who seek to grow the game globally. If roadblocks remain, the league remains committed to providing its golfers with playing opportunities, building more events if necessary.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no question that several years have been challenging for the game of golf,\u201d O\u2019Neil said. \u201cBut I believe we\u2019re at a really special inflexion point, and I think the opportunities in front of golf are nothing short of extraordinary.<\/p>\n \u201cMore people are playing golf around the world than ever before. There\u2019s enormous demand for elite golf in international markets. The Ryder Cup has shown us the incredible power of teams, identity and belonging. The World Cup shows us what happens when world-class sport combines with national pride \u2013 and LIV Golf shows what happens when you bring those two worlds together.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED: Here\u2019s the prize money payout for each golfer at the 2026 LIV Golf Indianapolis event<\/a><\/p>\n Follow Golf Digest Middle East on social media<\/p>\n