Ian Poulter warns time may be running out for LIV Golf

Ian Poulter says the clock may run out for LIV Golf to secure its future.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced in April that it would withdraw its financial backing of the breakaway tour at the end of the season.

Its chief executive, Scott O'Neil, has spent the last few months pitching LIV Golf 2.0 to potential investors.

O'Neil told reporters before LIV's stop in New York last week that the league had struck gold and that a signed agreement with a new investor was in place.

He hopes the transaction will be completed in September, allowing the competition to keep running in 2027, albeit with fewer events and reduced prize money. 

LIV has also said players will become majority equity holders in the league as part of the restructuring.

But Poulter appeared to indicate in a recent appearance on Jimmy Bullard's YouTube channel that O'Neil and LIV are well and truly up against it to get the deal over the line.

"I think time might run out," he told Bullard.

"There is a hard deadline I think of September 1. There is four weeks to find $300m. That is not a lot of time considering people and contracts have got to be signed.

"You have to ask the PIF: are you happy to accept sending this business that is running today into bankruptcy to be able to have a go forward into a 2.0 version, and give someone a $6bn write-off?"

His comments come as LIV players have reportedly been told that their season-ending team championship in Michigan has been cancelled.

Tickets for the $40m event can no longer be purchased online, while several LIV players have entered the British Masters.

The $3m tournament, hosted by Sir Nick Faldo at The Belfry, clashes with LIV's planned season finale.

LIV's season will instead bring the curtain down on another tumultuous campaign next week in Indianapolis. 

Elsewhere, the Telegraph has reported that LIV officials are resigned to losing Jon Rahm.

Rahm is said to be owed more than $150m from his initial signing bonus. 

The Financial Times has reported that the PIF wants to pay off outstanding contracts at a reduced rate to avoid litigation and bad publicity.

LIV Golf players will apparently have greater control in the 2.0 version, with players set to become majority equity holders in the league.

Whether that is enough to entice the Spaniard to stick around remains to be seen.

Making matters more complicated for Rahm, LIV players have been told by the DP World Tour (DPWT) that the European-based circuit is set to resume its policy of fining and suspending golfers for playing in conflicting events.

In that scenario, Rahm's Ryder Cup involvement would again be threatened. 

Rahm was previously involved in a two-year standoff with the DPWT over the issue, but settled the disagreement in May.

Still, Poulter appears at peace with whatever the future holds.

He said: "Where am I at? I am 50. I have some opportunity to play Champions Tour. 

"If LIV does a 2.0, I have a choice to go and play that. It's up in the air."

And he is happy with the impact he believes LIV has had.

"We have taken the game of golf around the world," he said. 

"We have had 100,000 plus fans in Australia, we have had 110,000 fans in South Africa. We have taken the game to Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Spain.

"If you think about what we have done to the game of golf and how that has changed the landscape of golf, some people don't like it, I get it. They don't like it.

"But look at what good we have done for the overall landscape of taking some of the best players in the world to some of the best countries in the world to grow the game of golf.

"Majesticks and Little Sticks, we have put golf clubs in the hands of kids.

"We are in 324 schools' PE curriculum, so we have touched over 50,000 kids in the UK in PE.

"Now would that have happened if LIV hadn't come around? No.

"So what does that mean in the bigger picture? I think we have done an amazing job and we can continue to do an amazing job.

"Whether you like the product or not, it may not exist next year, but it might."