LIV Golf pro opens up on "sad and difficult journey" of league's CEO

Richard Bland says LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil has endured a "sad and difficult journey" over the past few months as he discussed the league's future.

LIV Golf entered bankruptcy protection in early September, with at least $45m (£33m) reportedly owed to players. 

The development came several months after reports that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) would withdraw its multibillion-dollar financial backing of the tour at the end of the season.

That decision raised fresh questions about LIV's long-term future. 

However, in August, the league announced that it had found an unnamed lead investor who would help finance the competition in 2027, with the proposed new phase being referred to as "LIV 2.0".

Bland, who joined LIV in 2022, said players still do not have a complete picture of what lies ahead.

"The funding is all there," he told BBC Sport. 

"Once everything does get sorted out with LIV 1.0 it's then down to player support and who is going to sign up for the new league.

"Even though the funding is there, theoretically there's no guarantee that LIV 2.0 will continue if they don't have the player support."

LIV launched in 2021 and has since attracted several of golf's biggest names, including Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson. 

Bland said players had initially been given reason to believe the league's financial future was secure for several more years.

According to the Englishman, players were told during a meeting in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the year that LIV would have funding in place until 2032.

"We were told in Riyadh in around late January that the league was going to be funded through to 2032," Bland said.

"That was from Yasir as well, so from the horse's mouth so to speak.

"Everyone came away from that player meeting really positive and excited for the future, then four months later in Mexico to find out that the tour was going to get wrapped up, a lot of guys couldn't believe it."

PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan subsequently stepped down from LIV's board, while reports surrounding the organisation's financial future emerged during an event in Mexico in April.

Bland described the uncertainty as difficult for those involved with the league, particularly its staff and chief executive Scott O'Neil, who have been tasked with finding a way forward.

"It's very sad and it's been a very difficult journey to navigate, more so for staff and Scott [O'Neil, LIV CEO] to forge a pathway forward, we're still a bit in the dark with how it's going to be going forward."

Bland's LIV earnings

Bland was among the first players to join LIV and competed in the league's inaugural event in London. 

He subsequently represented Martin Kaymer's Cleeks GC.

The Southampton-based golfer became the oldest first-time winner in European Tour history when he claimed the British Masters at The Belfry in 2021. 

Three years later, he won the Senior PGA Championship on his first appearance in a senior major event.

Bland has also acknowledged reports that he earned more than $20m during his time with LIV, saying the figure was "somewhere in the right ballpark".

He believes his decision to join the breakaway circuit was justified given the financial opportunity it presented.

"At 49 years old, when the opportunity came along, you would have been mad to not take it," he said.

"I was living comfortably on DP World but I was given the chance to play for seven to eight times more money, some people won't agree with that and that's absolutely fine.

"That decision was mine and one that I made for my family and my security going forward, in my eyes it was a no-brainer."

Bland also believes the uncertainty surrounding LIV's future would have a greater impact on younger players who have more of their careers ahead of them.

"I'm now in the fortunate position now where if LIV 2.0 doesn't come about then it doesn't affect me as much as it probably does some of the younger players."