LIV Golf is moving fast, but is it moving forward? Golf fans barely get a moment to catch their breath before something new shakes up the sport. One day, it’s Brooks Koepka, rumored to be leaving LIV Golf, spotted hanging out with Tiger Woods’ TGL crew. Next, he’s doubling down on his commitment to the Saudi-backed league, feeling more at home than ever. Well! Koepka, however, has a message for LIV Golf’s new CEO, Scott O’Neil.

Sitting down with Joe Pompliano on The Joe Pomp Show, the five-time major champion didn’t hold back about LIV’s struggles. “We are behind where we should be,” Koepka admitted. “From bringing sponsors in to doing things, hitting the international market, the U.S. market.”

And he’s not wrong. LIV has had a hard time keeping sponsors on board. RBC pulled its sponsorship from Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell after they joined LIV, citing conflicts with PGA Tour events. Rocket Mortgage ended its deal with Bryson DeChambeau, making it clear they stood with the PGA Tour. These sponsorship exits have left LIV scrambling to prove its long-term viability to the corporate world.

But change is in the air, and Koepka thinks Scott O’Neil is the guy to turn things around. “I think he can lead LIV right to where I think it needs to be, or where it should be,” the 34-year-old said, sounding confident in the league’s new leadership. “We got the right people in charge now. And I’m excited to see where it goes.”

O’Neil isn’t exactly a rookie in the business of sports. With over 25 years of experience in leading and managing global sports and entertainment brands, he knows how to build a brand. His vision is to make LIV Golf the place for elite competition and innovation. And he’s not just saying it; he truly believes it.

During a recent interview, O’Neil boldly claimed, “Outside of the majors, if you want to see the best players in the world, there’s only one place to see it, and that’s at LIV.” That confidence isn’t just talk—Adelaide pulled in massive viewership numbers, proving that LIV has a growing audience. So, if Koepka and O’Neil are right and LIV is finally finding its footing, what does that mean for the PGA Tour?

Where does the PGA Tour stand currently?

Yes, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have been rivals from the very beginning, but if there’s one thing they have in common right now, it’s that both are struggling to keep sponsors and maintain viewership.

Take the PGA Tour, for example. It’s been the gold standard in professional golf for decades, yet even they’re feeling the pressure. In December 2023, Wells Fargo, a longtime signature event partner, announced it would end its two-decade-long partnership with the Tour. Then, in 2024, Sanderson Farms—a title sponsor for the Sanderson Farms Championship—also backed out, despite having a contract through 2026. No clear reasons were given, but the message was loud and clear: something wasn’t working. Pro golfer Webb Simpson didn’t sugarcoat it either, admitting, “The model is broken.”

And it’s not just about sponsorships—the whole sport feels like it’s at a crossroads. The division between LIV and the PGA Tour hasn’t just split the players; it’s divided the fans, too. For the longest time, a merger between the two leagues seemed like the only logical solution. But even that has been stuck in limbo. Originally, the big merger was supposed to happen in 2023. Fast forward to now, and there’s still no clarity.

Sure, there have been high-level meetings, including one at the White House, but no official resolution. Fans are getting impatient, and even insiders are unsure of what’s happening behind closed doors. What do you think?

Journalist Gabby Herzig, who’s been tracking the merger talks closely, has pointed out that there’s a lot more happening beneath the surface than meets the eye. She was one of the first to expose the legal hurdles standing in the way, and now, with the deadline passed, everything feels even more uncertain.

To add another twist, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan recently met with former President Donald Trump, with Adam Scott also in attendance. “It’s a big deal,” Herzig noted, emphasizing how crucial this moment could be. But what does this mean for the future of the PGA Tour?

It’s not just about that meeting—it’s the bigger picture. The PGA Tour is already under the Department of Justice’s microscope with an ongoing antitrust investigation into the merger. Now, with no official word on what’s next, the situation feels messier than ever.

So, with LIV Golf trying to find its footing under Scott O’Neil and the PGA Tour dealing with its own internal battles, one big question remains: Is golf heading in the right direction, or is the sport in for even more chaos?