LIV Golf star suggests Rory McIlroy investment as | Golf News

Ian Poulter believes LIV Golf ought to draw inspiration from Rory McIlroy’s investment in the Alpine Formula One Team as proof that the breakaway league can survive in a post-PIF funding world.

As the second major of 2026, the PGA Championship, approaches, golf headlines have been dominated by the fallout from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s choice to withdraw its funding from LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season.

With PIF set to withdraw its financial backing from LIV at the close of the 2026 season, CEO Scott O’Neil is at the moment looking for buyers to keep the league alive, and adjustments have already been made to the board to mirror the pressing need for reform.

While the outlook seems grim for LIV, which PIF reportedly poured over $5 billion into, Poulter believes there may be a “2.0 version of LIV” if they pursue investment alternatives in “the world of private equity”.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Poulter prompt that LIV ought to look to McIlroy’s investment in the F1 crew Alpine as a source of encouragement that the league can endure.

McIlroy invested in Alpine in 2023 alongside a quantity of sporting superstars, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Anthony Joshua, through personal investment firm Otro Capital. Poulter said, “There is a big opportunity for us in the world of private equity and how it has been investing in sports in the last, say, five years.

“I imply, when Rory [McIlroy] invested into the Alpine F1 racing crew, that had a valuation of about $900m. That was in 2023. How a lot is that business price today, $3bn? It’s accomplished very well. That is the chance that now lies forward for Scott, for us, to construct a 2.0 model of LIV.”

He added: “The same manner personal equity is invested in the PGA Tour, they need to make money.

“They would like to strip the PGA Tour down so there’s more money to go around. This is exactly the same as that. How do we do that efficiently? How do we do it from a business perspective?

“How can we make sure that 2.0 model is sustainable? We’ve spent a lot of money in the first 5 years to get it to where it’s today. Was that sustainable in the long run? Maybe not. But is the PGA Tour sustainable at the extent it’s today?”