LIV dangerously - the Saudi tour

I wonder what sort of line will the Open Championship organisers will now take for this years Open.

The Saudis will be tightening their belts. The war will have cost them an eye watering amount of money, even by their standards.

If the Saudi Public Investment Fund which has been funding LIV Golf is to be believed, there isn't going to be any belt tightening. Quite the contrary, they claim that in the next few years there will be an increased investment in sports, but with a change in emphasis to reflect their latest strategic vision. Because of their shifting priorities, LIV Golf is simply not a suitable investment any longer, though many other sports will receive more investment.

A number of problems have been identified with LIV golf which have led the Investment Fund no longer viewing it as something they want to put money into. These include:

1) LIV Golf has racked up big losses, whereas many of the sports receiving Saudi investment have returned profits. The current strategic vision is to invest in sports projects which are commercially viable.
2) Though many of the LIV golf events have been well attended, the TV audiences for the tournaments have been persistently low. This means no big broadcast deal on the horizon and little opportunity to get more smaller broadcast deals.
3) Unlike several other sports with Saudi investment, most of LIV golf takes place around the world, rather than in Saudi Arabia, so therefore doesn't have the benefit of bringing many visitors to the country and benefiting the local economy.
4) Golf isn't that popular in Saudi Arabia, though many other sports are. The Investment Fund now wishes to prioritise sports which already have a considerable fanbase in the country.

In summary, if the Investment Fund is to believed, they are actually going to invest more money in sport, not less. This is probably true, because the work required to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 alone is estimated to be costing $25-30 billion, making LIV Golf look quite cheap in comparison. So there isn't going to be any belt tightening, but rather a structural reset in which they look to get more return on their investments and look to cut anything which isn't being successful in realising value, especially if they are international projects more than Saudi projects.