The LIV Golf, which is never too far away from controversy, is finding itself in hot water once gain. The breakaway tour from the standard PGA Tour, which is being financed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund called the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has generated virtually ‘zero revenue’ during its first season. 

This development came to light after the tour’s lawyers admitted the fact in US federal court documents filed on Monday. If you are interested in sports news and betting, don’t forget to visit Nextbet.

In a motion with the US District Court of North Carolina, the attorneys of LIV Golf made the admission regarding its revenue. The motion involves the rebel league asking US district court judge Beth Labson Freeman to deny the PGA Tour’s motion for leave to add the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, as plaintiffs in the tour’s countersuit against LIV Golf.

The countersuit has already had a trial date set for January 2024 as the PGA Tour has alleged that LIV Golf has tampered and interfered with existing player contracts. With that being said though, the PGA wants to delay the date of the countersuit because it said the PIF and Al-Rumayyan have not complied with discovery and depositions.

“Delay will equally harm LIV because the Tour continues its anticompetitive conduct while the litigation is pending,” LIV Golf’s lawyers wrote in the motion obtained by the Guardian. “The Tour has damaged LIV’s brand, driven up its costs by hundreds of millions of dollars, and driven down revenues to virtually zero.”

The stark admission comes in the light of an ongoing legal battle between the two major golf leagues. Attorneys for LIV Golf have even admitted the brand will continue to “immeasurable” damage “[i]f the Tour is permitted to continue its anticompetitive conduct into another season beyond 2023”.

In its attempt to attract some of the biggest names in the world of golf, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, LIV Golf has apparently spent a lucrative sum of over $700 million. Additionally, the players can fetch $25m prize purses, nine-figure signing-on fees and gaudy perks such as the use of private jets.

The LIV Golf has constantly found itself battling against loud critics and detractors who clearly view it as another project of Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing.