During the final round of this year’s Masters, Sergio Garcia broke his driver by smashing it into a water cooler on the second hole. That moment, according to a new report from the Financial Times, helped lead Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, to his decision to pull PIF’s funding of LIV Golf.
People familiar with the matter told the Financial Times that Al-Rumayyan’s embarrassment over the incident helped lead to the decision, as the fund shifts its focus toward domestic commitments within Saudi Arabia. LIV Golf declined to comment to the Financial Times.
Al-Rumayyan has pursued membership at Augusta National on multiple occasions. Garcia’s outburst came during a tournament he has won, and reportedly embarrassed Al-Rumayyan in front of the club he has long tried to join.
The PIF’s withdrawal from LIV Golf followed weeks of speculation. Speaking to reporters in Mexico City ahead of a LIV event in April, Garcia addressed rumors that Saudi funding was in jeopardy.
“No, sincerely we haven’t heard anything,” Garcia said. “That is not what Yasir told us at the beginning of the year.”
Garcia said Al-Rumayyan had told players prior to the season that “he is behind us with a long-term project.”
The PIF had invested more than $5 billion in LIV Golf since the league’s 2022 launch. By late April, PIF confirmed that funding would end after the 2026 season, and Al-Rumayyan stepped down from his role as LIV’s board chairman. LIV Golf named Gene Davis and Jon Zinman to lead a new independent board tasked with securing outside financial partners.
RELATED: LIV Golf Cancels Michigan Finale, Pulls Concerts
With Rumayyan and the PIF no longer involved, LIV CEO Scott O’Neil announced new funding for the league in early August, but that hasn’t stopped a string of setbacks. Jon Rahm is expected to leave the league following the 2026 season, and LIV is facing lawsuits over unpaid services.
