LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil says Busan event will blend golf and entertainment

Scott O’Neil, CEO of LIV Golf. [Photo=LIV Golf]

LIV Golf, launched in 2022 and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has sought to reshape the sport by pairing competition with entertainment. The effort is led by CEO Scott O’Neil, a sports marketing executive who took the job in January last year.

LIV Golf will return to South Korea this year with its second event in the country. After holding its first Korea tournament last year in Songdo, Incheon, the tour will stage “LIV Golf Korea 2026” from May 28 to 31 at Busan Asiad Country Club in Gijang, Busan.

This outlet met O’Neil on April 27 at Busan Asiad Country Club. He said LIV’s strategy is to use entertainment to bring new audiences to golf.

Bryson DeChambeau tees off on the 11th hole during the final round of LIV Golf Korea at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon on May 4, 2025. [Photo=LIV Golf]

◆Putting entertainment on the course

O’Neil previously led Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, and most recently served as CEO of Merlin Entertainments. He said LIV aims for a more energetic atmosphere than traditional tournaments, with music playing throughout and fans encouraged to react.

“The average age of people watching golf on TV or attending tournaments is getting older by about one year every year,” O’Neil said. “If we want this sport to keep developing and growing, we need clear change. We have to bring younger generations to the course by blending culture — music, fashion, art.”

He said he became convinced of entertainment’s pull after seeing the scale of fan turnout for BTS at a major U.S. venue he once managed.

O’Neil pointed to Australia as an example of LIV’s impact. “After we held the event in Australia, golf participation among girls ages 8 to 16 increased by 200%,” he said. He added that waiting lists at some courses have stretched to three years, and that 40% of new members are under 35. “Our mission is to bring new life to golf by bringing in younger fans through entertainment.”

G-Dragon performs after the final round of LIV Golf Korea at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon on May 4, 2025. [Photo=LIV Golf]

◆A ‘party’ atmosphere and a 4:35 round

At a news conference the same day, O’Neil highlighted LIV’s shotgun starts, with all players beginning simultaneously across 18 holes.

“A LIV round is more than an hour shorter than other tours,” he said. “Teenagers today don’t have long attention spans. A match that ends in 4 hours 35 minutes is a much more effective and attractive TV entertainment product than something that drags on for 11 hours.”

LIV said its events have drawn large crowds, including 115,000 spectators in Australia, about 100,000 in South Africa, about 65,000 in the United Kingdom and about 60,000 in the United States.

O’Neil said last year’s Korea event also showed signs of reaching new audiences. “Sixty percent of the gallery in Korea last year were first-time golf tournament attendees, and 40% of the total crowd were women,” he said.

For Busan, he said he wants a festival-like setting. “What I want to bring to Korea is a perfect ‘party,’” O’Neil said. “Not a quiet tournament that demands silence, but a stage full of energy and passion where the gallery cheers loudly.” He cited last year’s South Africa event, where fans sang their national anthem together on the 18th green, and said he hopes to see a similar moment in Busan.

Questions have been raised in some quarters about LIV’s long-term sustainability given its spending, and some foreign media have recently reported speculation about financial strain. O’Neil rejected that.

“We have already secured enough funding to operate the 2026 season,” he said, adding that sponsorship from major partners has grown to about $500 million. LIV said this year’s revenue increased by $100 million from the previous year and global ticket sales jumped 129%.

Korean Golf Club players Danny Lee, Song Yeong-han, Kim Min-kyu and captain An Byeong-hun walk together during LIV Golf Week at The Dutchman’s Pipe Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Jan. 13, 2026. [Photo=LIV Golf]

◆Korean GC set for home debut

With about a month to go before the Busan event, LIV will also feature the first home appearance for Korean Golf Club, a team newly made up entirely of South Korean players. The team changed its name from Iron Head GC and adopted a white tiger emblem symbolizing strength in Korea.

The roster includes captain An Byeong-hun along with Kim Min-kyu, Song Yeong-han and Danny Lee.

At a media day, O’Neil said the Korean GC players have “excellent star power, character and the persistence Koreans are known for,” and predicted they would perform strongly with home fans behind them in Busan.

Top players are also expected to contend, including defending Korea champion Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith.

* This article has been translated by AI.