LIV Golf’s future has rarely looked more fragile. With Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund all but confirmed to cease funding for the league, the pros are no longer mute spectators but are taking matters into their own hands, planning to seek their fortune elsewhere.

Earlier this year, the DP World Tour reached conditional agreements with eight LIV pros, allowing them to play both tours through 2026 without facing sanctions. However, the conditions were simple: settle outstanding fines, commit to a minimum number of tour events, and drop any existing legal appeals. Now, many other LIV pros are also considering taking that route.

Inside sources told Today’s Golfer that a handful of them have already reached out to the DPWT to understand the potential pathway to return. They’ve also inquired about their current eligibility status in some events. What’s more interesting is that some of them are willing to do what was once unthinkable: going back to Q-school.

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One LIV golfer is ready to tee off at the HotelPlanner Tour, the feeder circuit for the European Tour. The fact that a player, with a guaranteed income in each tournament in LIV Golf, is mapping out second-tier options says a lot more about the mood inside the league than any official statement has. The HotelPlanner Tour doesn’t offer any lucrative contracts or guarantee money. But the question is whether DPWT is ready to accept them back. CEO Guy Kinnings had a loaded response.

“So we will wait and see how things evolve, but we’re obviously listening and we’re listening to players and agents and others who have questions about what the future may hold and we’ll handle it as we go forward. But for sure, I think there’s opportunity for us to continue to grow the strength of the tour, which is my only job really,” said Kinnings, whose words validate what the sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

It’s not immediately clear which players have reached out. Sources said both sides are treating these conversations as contingency plans, but it reflects a growing concern about the league’s demise. That concern is not without reason when you look at the bigger picture.

The Public Investment Fund’s newly announced five-year strategy has no mention of LIV Golf. It’s part of a broader restructuring of assets as the country grapples with the fallout of a protracted war. LIV Golf’s CEO, Scott O’Neil, also admitted blatantly that they need to be “working like crazy to keep the business going” after 2026. And another recent development also laid bare the quagmire LIV is in.

LIV Golf’s current situation is causing long-term damage

The breakaway league has reportedly canceled its New Orleans tournament scheduled for June 25, which has left a month-long gap in its schedule. For players already uneasy about the league’s direction, the disruption only adds to the uncertainty. LIV Golf pros have two options: wait it out or accept the reality, as one of their former teammates has done.

Kevin Na, one of the earliest pros to switch to LIV Golf, now finds himself out of favor with the Saudi-backed league. The 42-year-old tees off in Asian Tour events, having played barely three to five tournaments this year. Quite naturally, many inside LIV–especially, the youngsters who are yet to secure any major invites over the next five years–dread finding themselves in a position like this. And that hands the advantage to rivals, including the PGA Tour.

CEO Brian Rolapp admitted that they’re thinking about a pathway similar to the one created for Brooks Koepka. Clearly, LIV Golf’s leverage is vanishing fast. And this has dealt a blow to its reputation, which will hamper its chances of signing young players, a key to producing home-grown stars. On top of that, another snag might deter players from joining the Saudi-funded league.

For European players currently on the LIV Golf, the 2027 Ryder Cup signifies more than just prestige; it serves as a concrete deadline. To be considered for Luke Donald’s Team Europe, players must be active members of the DP World Tour and have their outstanding fines resolved. McKibbin, one of the most exciting young players in European golf, signed the deal specifically to keep his path to Adare Manor open.

However, Jon Rahm‘s situation remains unclear. The two-time major champion rejected the same deal, calling the conditions unfair. He has since withdrawn his appeal without settling his fines, leaving his Ryder Cup place in genuine doubt. Rahm expressed his ongoing belief that a resolution can be reached; however, he no longer has the safety net that others secured months ago.

For LIV Golf pros making inquiries about returning to the DPWT, the Ryder Cup is almost certainly part of that calculation. The tour card is one thing, but missing Adare Manor is something else entirely for European professionals. Whether the DPWT opens that door wide enough—and fast enough—will determine the immediate future for players whose careers were left hanging by a league that may not survive.