Scott O’Neil has opened himself up to criticism with bizarre comment about LIV Golf’s future

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Scott O’Neil did LIV Golf few favours with his response to being asked whether he could guarantee that the league’s final four events of the season will take place.

There are now no more LIV Golf events on the schedule until after The Open Championship. With that, the rumour mill is likely to be working overtime over the coming weeks.

Front Office Sports reported in recent days that the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia may decide to withdraw their financial support before the end of the season.

Of course, the PIF plan to walk away after this year anyway.

Scott O’Neil failed to quash speculation over LIV Golf’s future

CEO Scott O’Neil got the opportunity to dismiss some of the speculation during an interview with CNBC this week.

It is fair to say that he did little to quash the talk.

O’Neil did praise the PIF and suggested that everyone on LIV expects it to be business as usual over the remainder of the season.

But then he was asked whether he could guarantee that their remaining four events will take place. His response was to guarantee a return for anyone who invests in LIV.

Obviously, O’Neil is in a tricky position. He will know that he will be ridiculed if he promises that the final four events take place and then the PIF do decide to pull the plug sooner than expected.

However, it surely would not have been too difficult to reiterate that everyone on LIV is fully prepared to put on the final four events unless they hear anything different.

In fact, that sort of response may have elicited some sympathy for those on LIV. They have been put in a difficult position by those involved with the PIF. There is so much uncertainty surrounding a league that once looked destined to take over professional golf.

Potential investors will have surely gained little confidence about LIV Golf’s future

While any potential investors would be coming in after this season, it is hard to imagine that many would have been encouraged by O’Neil’s inability to guarantee that the events will take place.

Let us not forget that LIV discussed rescheduling the postponed New Orleans event for later in the year. That would seemingly appear to no longer be the case.

O’Neil’s comments highlight just how much is up in the air when it comes to LIV right now. It is difficult to see who would be tempted to invest in the league when that is the case.