‘Catastrophising’: Ripper GC boss lashes LIV rumours
Steve Larkin |
The boss of all-Australian Ripper GC is dismissing “catastrophising” about LIV Golf’s future, adamant it’s business as usual beyond this year.
Ripper GC general manager Nick Adams, Cam Smith and Ripper players have openly addressed reports Saudi Arabian backers could pull funding from the breakaway league.
“We’re quite used to, especially Cam and Leish (Marc Leishman), we’re used to a lot of sort of catastrophising around LIV’s future that is never really led by us,” Adams told AAP on Wednesday.
“Every six months, there’s something that comes up, like it’s all going to end, or it’s over tomorrow, or a merger with the PGA.
“So to be honest, it’s not something that we’re foreign to. We have been instructed by leadership that it’s all business as usual and we’re planning ahead to 2027.”
Adams and golfers Smith, Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Elvis Smylie met in Mexico City two weeks ago when rumours surfaced querying the league’s future.
“We sat down as a group and just went through: ‘Well, this factual, and this is not, and this is where we stand and we’re moving ahead’,” Adams said.
“We addressed it as a group, everyone was satisfied with what we discussed and then we moved forward … that is as much as it was.
“To be honest, our guys are Australian. Unless it’s really, really good oil and they know it to be a fact, they just keep going and moving and business as usual.”
Reports suggest Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) could withdraw funding of a league which Forbes reported in January has posted cumulative losses of more than $1.4 billion since its 2021 founding.
“As we apply to 2027, it hasn’t affected the market sentiment around the team which has been fantastic,” Adams said.
“Nor can I really see it affecting the sentiment around the league.
“The PIF hasn’t come out and made a statement to say that they’re not funding the league, so we’re carrying on as is.”
Adams said discussions were ongoing with private buyers interested in a stake of Ripper GC.
“What this has always been set up to do, is start to sell percentages of the teams to outside investors,” he said.
“Now that is not a new thing, that was always the vision when it began, and we will continue on that process.
“We have interested parties that are wanting to get involved with all 13 teams across the league and Ripper is no different to that.
“So we will continue to have those conversations as they come up.”
Figures of $1 billion have been bandied about for LIV’s 13 franchises,
“If we had this conversation 15 years ago and you told me that an IPL team would sell for $1.4 billion, what do you think, would you have said yes?,” Adams said.
According to LIV Golf figures, revenue is up 100 per cent from 2024/25; sponsorship up 40 per cent year-on-year.
And with more than 100,000 fans attending the inaugural event in South Africa this year, the league – which on Tuesday postponed a tournament in New Orleans scheduled for June – was pacing $100 million ahead of last year’s revenue.
AAP