LIV Golf 2.0: What We Know And Questions Still Unanswered About League's Survival

We've heard a lot from Scott O'Neil about LIV Golf 2.0 should the tour continue, but what exactly will it look like?

The proposed new investor in the league has been given a full briefing but some public details are still a bit sketchy about just what form this LIV Golf 2.0 will take.

There's also the answers to some burning questions that both the golfing public want to know and current LIV players will need to know in order to sign up to the new version of the team golf league.

So let's get down to it, what exactly do we know about LIV 2.0 and what are the unanswered questions still facing the league?

What do we know about LIV Golf 2.0?

The LIV Golf 2027 schedule

The plan floated so far is for 10 events to make up the 2027 LIV Golf schedule, with half being team events played internationally and five other tournaments played mainly in the USA.

The timing of these has also been hinted at, with a focus on having them in and around the Majors to ensure LIV players have a warm-up.

Scott O'Neil said recently: "Our vision is five marquee Team Championships on each of the five continents we play along with five team Signature Events predominantly in the US and positioned around Major championships, to make sure that our players who are playing in the majors have a proper place to prepare."

A focus on national teams

"This next chapter, we certainly are going to lean more into teams, lean into teams and the national identity," said O'Neil, who cited the huge crowds in Australia and South Africa cheering on their home teams Ripper and Southern Guards.

O'Neil also spoke about the Ryder Cup and the FIFA World Cup as examples of that national pride that LIV 2.0 will try and make the most of in its international events.

Along with Australia and South Africa, there are currently teams soley representing England, USA, Korea and Spain and expect LIV 2.0 to try and create more single-nation squads to help with building fanbases.

Where will LIV 2.0 international events be?

O'Neil says there'll be one event on each of the five continents they play, and according to the presentation deck shown to the league's proposed new investor we know where they'll be.

Australia and South Africa are no-brainers and the UK event has also been a great success so that will stay on the schedule alongside Mexico. The Far East event that will complete the five will be played in Hong Kong.

A focus on harmony with competitors

O'Neil accepts that the early years of LIV Golf under Greg Norman were "disruptive and at times divisive" but he's now preaching harmony and hopes to work with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour moving forward.

His aim is to strike deals that will allow his players to play on those two main tours as well as LIV, without fines, sanctions or restriction.

"We shouldn't live in a world where one group of golfers is uniquely restricted from playing elsewhere," said O'Neil. "Our goal isn't 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."

LIV will use 'feeder' tours to create more events

If O'Neil can't strike a deal to help his players supplement the 10 LIV events with added tournaments, he has a simple solution - build more of his own.

"It's pretty simple," he said. "If you look at some of the feeder tours and what their prize money is, it's simple enough for us to build events around our events and host them and bring people in.

"We just want to make sure we have enough events for our players to play a full schedule."

Players will have ownership

LIV prides itself in player involvement, and that will go a step further in the new 2.0 version of the legaue with players owning equity in the new business.

We don't know the exact amounts or how it will work, but players owning a slice of the pie is how LIV will remain an attractive place to play golf.

Players get NIL rights

It's not just ownership of the league that players will get either, as they'll have their NIL rights backs after previously been owned by the league.

This was one of the big reasons Phil Mickelson had for leaving the PGA Tour in the first place, and popular players and business savvy ones such as Bryson DeChambeau will like this one.

Prize funds will be competitive

Although there has to be a big cut in prize money for LIV 2.0 they will still remain lucrative events - with expected purses due to be $10m, down from £30m this season.

However, that still puts it on par with the DP World Tour's season-ending DP World Tour Championship and higher than any other event on that circuit, and competitive with the larger non-Signature Events on the PGA Tour.

Unanswered questions for LIV Golf 2.0

When are the deadlines for players & investor deal?

"We have a very compressed timeline to get the deal done," said O'Neil, who wouldn't reveal when the deadline was.

He did admit that getting players signed up was key to the deal being done, but that deadline is also unknown and there's a hint of chicken and egg here as players don't like uncertainty but they have to commit their futures to help secure the investor.

Which players will they have?

O'Neil is confident he has a "critical mass" of players committed, but Jon Rahm doesn't look like being one of them if rumors are to be believed. The Spaniard hasn't come out and said he's staying, and O'Neil has been coy on his future.

Bryson DeChambeau could be the cornerstone to the entire league's survival and he's been more bullish about the future, but he's out of contract and O'Neil also hasn't be able to say if he's staying put or not.

And if DeChambeau was all-in then you bet O'Neil would rightly be shouting it from the rooftops. This could be the biggest question to answer of them all.

Is bankruptcy an option?

In short, yes. That may not be such a bad thing as it would clear the decks somewhat and help with contracts and money owed but may not sit well with the PIF.

Where will events be in the USA?

We think we know the global schedule, but what about in the USA? LIV has been around a few places in the United States from Portland to Miami so there are plenty of options.

President Donald Trump is a fan so LIV could lean on playing his courses, but there could also be a hint of trepidation for potential venues considering LIV had to cancel two events this year.

The Team Championship in Michigan was only cancelled at late notice, while the event in Louisiana scheduled for June was mysteriously scratched as well. In fact, just what happened in New Orleans is a big question in itself.

Will LIV 2.0 have OWGR points?

Not this again! We had plenty of this talk before LIV eventually got recognition, and O'Neil says he's "100 percent" certain LIV 2.0 will retain it's position.

However, there must be a big question mark here with just 10 events in the season, and who knows how the promotion and relegation will work on a slimmed down league.

And what about players holding equity in the business and teams being built purposely based on nationality? That just adds to the confusion. And you can be sure players who stay will be furious if OWGR points are revoked.

And the big one, will it even happen?

This one is impossible and anyone who tells you they know the answer for certain is probably guessing - as nobody can really know for sure. Until that investment deal is signed, sealed and delivered it's still hanging in the balance.

All the talk of schedules, ranking points, team line-ups and the like are all pretty much pointless until that source of funding is secured. Players are talking positively but plenty are also lining up DP World Tour appearances and looking at other options.

If positivity and energy will help, then O'Neil will succeed but the future of LIV Golf may not be in his hands, and could all depend on what the likes of Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau decide.