LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil cannot guarantee that the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund would fund the remainder of the league’s 2026 season, but he said LIV was glad to take the investors at their word.

O’Neil was interviewed on CNBC Tuesday, several weeks after the PIF confirmed they were pulling funding from the five-year-old golf circuit after this year.

“I can say they’ve been terrific partners so far, and you have to take an incredible organization like PIF at their word,” O’Neil said. “They’ve been very public about funding us through the season, so we are full steam ahead.”

O’Neil was pressed on recent reports that LIV’s final four events this season may not go on as planned as PIF ponders pulling its funding even sooner. One tournament, LIV Golf Louisiana, was scheduled for the final week of June but was postponed not long after the initial news about PIF.

With PIF backing away and its governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan stepping down as LIV Golf’s chairman, the league has begun wooing new investors, reportedly seeking around $250-350 million in investment capital to kickstart a “LIV 2.0” plan.

O’Neil, a longtime sports executive in his second year as LIV’s CEO, was asked directly whether he could guarantee the final four events in England, New Jersey, Indianapolis and Michigan will take place this summer.

“What I can guarantee is a heck of a return if you come invest in this business,” O’Neil replied.

O’Neil went on to say that he feels LIV has “incredible business momentum.

“What we don’t have is a lot of time, so we’re very urgently out there talking to those who are interested,” he said.

With the Louisiana event postponed, LIV Golf has a six-week hole in the schedule this summer before it’s set to return at LIV Golf UK from July 23-26.

–Field Level Media

Great Britain’s Katie Boulter rallied after her Monday match carried over to Tuesday and knocked off No. 8 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada at the HSBC Championships in London.

Fernandez was up one set and they were level at 3-3 in the second set when the match was suspended due to darkness on Monday at the Queen’s Club. Boulter went on to win 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 in the Round of 32. Boulter overcame nine double faults by converting 3 of 6 break-point opportunities to 3 of 8 for Fernandez.

Sixth-seeded Iva Jovic of the United States topped Antonio Ruzic of Croatia 6-3, 6-4 in one hour, 23 minutes. Seventh-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania got past Australia’s Maddison Inglis 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.

Straight-set winners included Great Britain’s Emma Radacanu, the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova, Croatia’s Donna Vekic and Germany’s Laura Siegemund and Tatjana Maria, who is defending champion. Vekic moved into the main draw in as a lucky loser to replace French Open semifinalist Marta Kostyuk (ankle).

Libema Open

Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska upset sixth-seeded Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-2 in one hour, 18 minutes at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands.

Yastremska converted 5 of 10 on break points, while Bejlek was just 1 of 6.

Belgium’s Greet Minnen recorded another upset by topping seventh-seeded Janice Tjen of Indonesia 7-6 (4), 6-1. Eighth-seeded Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic avoided the upset, handling Mexico’s Renata Zarzua 6-1, 6-2.

Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez beat American Katie Volynets 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse defeated Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch 6-4, 7-6 (5). A few matches were suspended on Tuesday, including fourth-seeded Emma Navarro and fellow American Caty McNally, who was leading 4-6, 6-0, 2-1.

–Field Level Media

In an ironic twist, the injunction that opened the door for Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby to play next season despite previously placing bets on his own team has led to a surge of wagers backing the Red Raiders to win the national championship.

Texas Tech was being offered at +2000 by BetMGM before Monday’s ruling. Following the injunction being granted, those odds shortened to +1700 and the book reported that 35% of all money wagered on the national championship winner during that time backed the Red Raiders.

They still have only the 11th-shortest odds, but the heavy action has had an impact on the national title market.

Ohio State remains the title favorite at +600, followed by Notre Dame at +700 and Indiana and Texas both at +750. Texas Tech remains +2000 at DraftKings, where Ohio State leads the way at +650 followed by Notre Dame, Indiana and Texas at the same odds as BetMGM.

Sorsby, 22, opened at +2500 at BetMGM to win the Heisman Trophy next season. Those odds have also shortened, as he is now being offered at +2000 with 3.6% of all money wagered backing him.

The current Heisman favorites are fellow quarterbacks Arch Manning from Texas and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, who are both being offered at +750, followed by Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss at +900. No other player has shorter Heisman odds than Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin at +1100.

The fallout from Monday’s ruling continues to reverberate throughout college sports, with multiple schools contemplating boycotting competing against the Red Raiders in any sport.

It stems from the temporary injunction issued on Monday in Lubbock County, Texas, by district judge Ken Curry that restores Sorsby’s eligibility. It also said the NCAA cannot prevent him from “practicing, playing or otherwise participating on Texas Tech’s football team for the 2026 season.”

That’s despite Sorsby being ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it found he had bet about $90,000 on college and pro sports in a four-year span, including on his team when he attended Indiana in 2022. His appeal to the NCAA was denied last Friday.

The NCAA immediately appealed Curry’s ruling to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas in Amarillo.

–Field Level Media