Saudi-backed LIV exploring staging national opens

Plan likely to compete with DP World Tour as Saudi investment shows no sign of reducing LIV’s scale

KEY FIGURE: Jon Rahm of Legion XIII gestures on the 17th hole on day three of LIV Golf Andalucia at Valderrama on July 13, 2025 in Cádiz, Spain. Pic: Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Tournaments as opposed to players could become the next key domain in elite golf’s power struggle, with the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV circuit exploring the staging of national opens. Any such approach is likely to cause anxiety within the corridors of power at the DP World, formerly European, Tour given the number of such events already on its schedule.

While the talent drain of elite players from traditional tours towards LIV has stopped, or reversed, the concept of increased competition for prime tournament markets is an intriguing one.