LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil Targets Global Domination

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LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil hopes the OWGR will eventually recognize his tour as the "strongest strength of field in international golf" as he set out his plans for the future.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with Al Arabiya, O'Neil welcomed the fact that the Official World Golf Ranking board decided to hand out points to LIV - especially with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour having a vote in the matter.

Firstly, on the world ranking points scenario, O'Neil saw the upside of direct competitors the PGA Tour and DP World Tour actually voting for LIV to be recognized, even though he's not happy with the split.

"What a great testament that the two tours who have the most to lose in the world are actually voting members on that board," O'Neil told Al Arabiya.

"Can you imagine it's the commissioner of the PGA, the head of the DP World Tour and so from our perspective what a great vote of confidence for them to say 'Okay, we’ll give you points'.

“Now, on the other hand it’s a bit unprecedented. In every other event that they have across the hundreds of tours that they sanction, if there are no cuts only 15% of the field gets no points.

"In our case, it’s 82% of the field, so that didn’t feel great.

"And I’m hoping that this is the first step of many steps up the flight of stairs where we’ll actually be ranked and recognized where we actually should be, which I think is the greatest, deepest, most talented, strongest strength of field in international golf in the world.”

Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Scott O'Neil standing next to each other at a LIV Golf tournament

There was a rare update on the forgotten PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger talks, which O'Neil says are still ongoing but with no real end in sight.

But what is becoming clear is that LIV Golf could start to move away from the United States and focus more on a global strategy - with currently nine countries featuring in the 13 events announced for 2026.

“The PGA Tour is a tremendous tour," added O'Neil. "I think their entire focus is on the US. So, strategically, it would make sense if we’re the dominant tour outside the US and we continue to have talks back and forth.

"Sometimes they heat up, sometimes they slow down, but our entire focus right now is starting this season.”

O'Neil lavished praise on Saudi PIF boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who has sanctioned around $5 billion of funding so far for LIV Golf, and believes much bigger things are to come for the team tour.

"We have this chance to go try and test new things and what you're seeing is just the start," said O'Neil.

“For us, this is such an evolution of progress. And I think you’ve just started to see the early beginnings of what’s going to be the most dominant global sports league in the world.”

'Personalities who matter' play on LIV

Also commenting on the increased team prize money on LIV this year, O'Neill said: "Can you imagine showing up for your day job and playing for $30 million over the course of a weekend? It’s not too bad.”

And he also says he fully backs the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson building up their online following - and believes all of golf's biggest personalities now play on LIV.

“I think what you’ve seen for the first time in golf, most of the personalities who matter have congregated into one league, and that’s LIV," he added.

"And with that there’s so much personality and so much fun and social media, and particularly YouTube golf has absolutely taken off, but their Instagram channels are just as good.

“Phil Mickelson is another one. He’s 55 years old and he’s embraced Grant Horvat and grown his channel at a rapid, rapid rate. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s instructive but probably most importantly to me is locks in right on our mission to grow the game.

“Sometimes we grow the game by the incredible fans that will come out this weekend. Other times we’ll travel in the airport and we’ll meet fans.

"Other times it’s during practice rounds, we get the chance to reach an event with kids and sometimes it’s social media and however we can inspire the next generation of golfers in the world.”

LIV Golf CEO Says OWGR Move ‘Didn’t Feel Great’ But Welcomes Ranking Points - YouTube

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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.

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