The noise around LIV Golf has only grown louder, and Caleb Surratt has heard all of it. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will pull its financial backing from the league at the end of the 2026 season. CEO Scott O’Neil has admitted LIV may need a decade to turn a profit. Now, reports of possible Chapter 11 planning only add to the uncertainty, but Surratt does not care. He is just not building his career around it, and he confirmed just as much recently.

When asked whether a potential return to the PGA Tour was on his radar, Surratt was direct on 5 Clubs: “I honestly do not. I would tell you if I did. But right now my goal is to gain status on the DP World Tour for next year, regardless of whether LIV is going great or if it’s struggling. It does not matter. I want to be able to play out here and out here with LIV, regardless of where I’m playing next year. I’d love to have some status next year. That is my goal, but I can say that I have not reached out or anything. I am happy with where I am at, I am very confident in LIV moving forward, to be honest.”

That confidence comes at a complicated moment. The PIF poured more than $5 billion into LIV since its 2022 launch. Yet, CEO Scott O’Neil admitted the league needs ten years to break even. The fund is set to stop financing the 14-event circuit at the close of the 2026 season, leaving LIV to seek new backers. Reuters reported that the league is looking for $250 million to $350 million in new investment, with plans that could include a shorter 10-event schedule and equity stakes for players.

🤔 golf trivia

This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

On Which Hole Jordan Spieth’s Ball Got Stuck Under a Trashcan?

14th 15th16th 17th

Oops, bogey!

But don’t worry, there’s still the back 9 to prove your high golf IQ

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Against that backdrop, the DP World Tour card has become less of a career preference and more of a necessity for LIV players. Other LIV players make the same calculation. Eugenio Chacarra recently spelled out his own priorities. He recently competed in a six-for-one playoff for a U.S. Open alternate spot. However, he walked away mid-playoff to catch a flight to the DP World Tour’s Soudal Open in Belgium

“My goal is to get my PGA Tour card through the DP Tour, and for me to prepare Belgium the right way was to get that flight. When you fly to Europe you lose one day and that was the only chance I had to get there on time to get some rest and practice the course.” Two LIV players, same calculation.

The pathway is clear. LIV players can regain DP World Tour status by paying conflicting-event fines, withdrawing pending appeals, and committing to a minimum of six DP World Tour events per season. Crucially, the top ten finishers on the final Race to Dubai standings earn PGA Tour membership for the following year, making the DPWT card the most direct route to golf’s biggest stage available to any LIV player right now.

Surratt is already working on that plan. He is currently at the Soudal Open at Rinkven International GC, where he shot even par in Round 1. His 2026 LIV season across seven events with Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII has produced 73.2 individual points, with a best finish of T12 at LIV Golf Virginia. He currently sits 32nd in LIV’s individual standings, while Legion XIII are third in the team standings. He also qualified for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills after surviving a six-for-one sudden-death playoff at the Dallas final qualifier, securing the ninth and final spot. It will be his first major championship appearance.

“I’ve learned a lot this year,” Surratt said. “I know I’m a better player than I was in college, and I think one day this is all going to come full circle, and I’m going to be seeing some of those same guys again in Majors, hopefully soon.”

He also made clear that the uncertainty has not changed how he views his LIV decision. Surratt said he would still make the same move again, arguing that leaving college early put him years ahead in his development by letting him play alongside some of the best players in the world. Whether LIV survives or not, Surratt is building a schedule and a game that does not depend on it.

That does not mean he is pretending the situation is simple. Surratt admitted these are uncertain times, but said he has chosen not to chase every update because the larger business picture is out of his hands. “I genuinely choose not to worry about it,” he said. “In the end I am not in control of anything.” He also backed O’Neil, calling him “an amazing guy to have in charge” and saying his own job is to keep improving and take whatever opportunities come his way.

While Surratt plans, bigger names in LIV are far less certain about their futures.

What happens to LIV golf players if the league folds?

If the league goes bankrupt, player contracts could become part of a wider restructuring process, depending on how any filing plays out. This means stars like Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith could eventually have decisions to make about their next steps, including whether a PGA Tour return is realistic or even desirable. Whether that actually happens is a different question entirely, with each player weighing very different options.

Bryson DeChambeau, LIV’s biggest draw, recently admitted on a podcast that he feels completely lost.

“I’m in that weird space right now,” he said. “I don’t know what to do. Either content creation or professional golf. I don’t know what to do right now.” That is not the voice of someone with a clear plan.

At the same time, DeChambeau has also publicly said he wants to help LIV work beyond this season, especially for younger players such as Surratt, Josele Ballester, David Puig and Michael La Sasso. Surratt appreciated that backing, saying DeChambeau is “a great guy to have around” and that he believes the two-time U.S. Open winner will “fight for what’s right.”

LIV Golf denies the bankruptcy rumors. A spokesperson said the league wants to find a deal that secures its long-term future. They are actively talking to new investors and promise the league has enough money to finish the 2026 season. In a statement to Reuters, LIV said it is focused on securing a transaction that positions the organization for the long term and plans to share its business framework with prospective capital partners.

But young players like Surratt aren’t waiting for answers. Earning a spot on the DP World Tour guarantees them a place to play, no matter what happens to LIV. That is why the Race to Dubai pathway matters way more to these young guys than any corporate press release.