LIV Golf split the professional circuit early this decade with its flashy tournaments and payouts that outstripped what golfers were earning on PGA tours. Now, after five years — and more than $5 billion in investments from the Saudi Public Investment Fund — LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Golf.com’s Sean Zak joins host David Gura to explore why LIV wasn’t able to convert lavish spending and an attention-grabbing feud with the PGA into big audience numbers. Zak explores the prospect for a player-owned LIV 2.0 and looks at whether the upstart tour was ultimately good for professional golf.

Read more:
LIV’s Great Saudi-Backed Assault on Golf Ends With Whimper
LIV Golf Files Bankruptcy With Post-Saudi Future Uncertain
LIV Golf Shows Money Can Buy Stars — But Not Fans

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Guest: Sean Zak; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

LIV Golf split the professional circuit early this decade with its flashy tournaments and payouts that outstripped what golfers were earning on PGA tours. Now, after five years &mdash; and more than $5 billion in investments from the Saudi Public Investment Fund &mdash; LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, <a href="http://golf.com">Golf.com</a>&rsquo;s Sean Zak joins host David Gura to explore why LIV wasn&rsquo;t able to convert lavish spending and an attention-grabbing feud with the PGA into big audience numbers. Zak explores the prospect for a player-owned LIV 2.0 and looks at whether the upstart tour was ultimately good for professional golf.
Read more:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-09/liv-s-great-saudi-backed-assault-on-golf-ends-with-whimper?srnd=undefined">LIV&rsquo;s Great Saudi-Backed Assault on Golf Ends With Whimper</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-08/liv-golf-files-for-bankruptcy-with-post-saudi-future-uncertain">LIV Golf Files Bankruptcy With Post-Saudi Future Uncertain</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-04-23/liv-golf-shows-limits-of-what-saudi-money-can-buy-in-sports">LIV Golf Shows Money Can Buy Stars &mdash; But Not Fans</a></li>
</ul>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Guest: Sean Zak; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

LIV Golf’s $5 Billion Path to Bankruptcy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8f1d272a-9148-4c04-b637-b4c2013f1904/transcript