CEO O’Neil emphasizes “complete, not compete” while discussing LIV Golf’s future

WESTFIELD, Ind. – As CEO Scott O’Neil leads LIV Golf into its next chapter, his goal for the league and its place in golf’s ecosystem is simple.

“Complete, not compete.”

It’s a phrase he referenced multiple times Wednesday during a pre-tournament press conference at this week’s LIV Golf Indianapolis Championships, the final event of the 2026 season. He hopes the various golf leagues can work together moving forward, provide all players with the opportunities they seek, and end whatever divisiveness has existed since 2022.

“It’s time to move forward,” O’Neil said. “Let’s once again put the game first. I spent time over the last several weeks speaking with many of the guardians and stewards of the game of golf, and I heard a real appetite to put the parochial friction of the past behind us. I want to be crystal clear – that’s what LIV Golf wants.

“The philosophy is simple; if you’ve been around me before, you’ve heard it. It’s complete, not compete. Golf doesn’t need one tour to win and everyone else to lose.There are great tours around the world. They serve different purposes. We believe players should have the flexibility to compete across these platforms when they are good enough and enhance the fields.

“We shouldn’t live in a world where one group of golfers is uniquely restricted from playing elsewhere. Our goal isn’t to replace or restrict any tour. Our mission is to bring something distinctive to the ecosystem that elevates it and makes the whole game better. More markets, younger, next-gen global fans, more sponsors, more opportunities for players, more great golf – and, of course, a lot more fun.”

O’Neil was named the league’s CEO in January 2025, so he was not part of the league’s early start-up years, although he remembers its ambitions of creating something new in the sport, creating additional opportunities for players, and showcasing their talents around the world in hopes of growing the game.

Those well-meaning ambitions remain, but the league itself will operate differently starting in 2027.

• It will be player-led, with the players owning majority equity in their teams. “Players aren’t simply playing for LIV Golf,” O’Neil explained. “They have an opportunity to own. They get equity in what they’re building. They regain a majority of their commercial rights, and teams become real businesses with real assets. And for the first time, the interests of the league and the players become truly aligned around building long-term value together.”
• It will be commercially disciplined. O’Neil said the changes will be “unrecognizable” from a fan standpoint, but from a business standpoint, “We’ve created an opportunity to have a profitable league and continue to have profitable teams. … It’s about building LIV into a sustainable sports business for the longer term.”
• It will be globally relevant. Fueled by successes this year in Adelaide, Australia (115,000 fans) and South Africa (100,000 fans), the league plans to schedule Team Championship events on five continents and in harmony with the global golf calendar. O’Neil said the league will also lean more heavily into teams having a national identity, much like the all-Australian Ripper GC, all-South African Southern Guards, the all-English Majesticks GC, all-Spanish Fireballs GC, Latin-American Torque GC and the self-named Korean Golf Club.
• And it will be built to last. Two weeks ago at LIV Golf New York, the league announced its agreement with a lead investor; on Wednesday, O’Neil provided an update: “We’re well on our way to a transaction.” The investor met with the players this week, a meeting that O’Neil described as “everything I hoped it would be. You have a visionary, charismatic, driven, well-connected leader, investor, businessman who answered questions with grace, shared his vision and I think was able to convey a lot of the things that players and GMs and my colleagues wanted to hear. It was a fantastic meeting.”

O’Neil said he senses a real desire across the leadership of the game to come together and start building for the next 25 years. He realizes that there will be competition among organizations but believes that cooperation can coexist. He plans to position LIV Golf as a league that will work with all others who seek to grow the game globally. If roadblocks remain, the league remains committed to providing its golfers with playing opportunities, building more events if necessary.

“There’s no question that several years have been challenging for the game of golf,” O’Neil said. “But I believe we’re at a really special inflection point, and I think the opportunities in front of golf is nothing short of extraordinary.

“More people are playing golf around the world than ever before. There’s enormous demand for elite golf in international markets. The Ryder Cup has shown us the incredible power of teams, identity and belonging. The World Cup shows us what happens when world-class sport combines with national pride – and LIV Golf shows what happens when you bring those two worlds together.”