LIV Golf chief executive Scott O’Neil insists he is optimistic about the league’s long-term future but has warned of a ‘very compressed timeline’ to finalise fresh investment.

The 2026 season finishes a week early in Indianapolis and offering a reduced prize purse compared to other regular events, with next week’s Team Championship cancelled and uncertainty over their next steps.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced earlier this year they would not bankroll the league beyond this season, having spent over $5bn (£3.6bn) over five years, with LIV Golf now looking to finalise a deal with a new unnamed investor.

That investor met with players ahead of LIV Golf Indianapolis, where no players had pre-tournament press conferences and O’Neil addressed the media to discuss ‘the next chapter’ for the circuit.

“It [LIV Golf] certainly was disruptive and at times divisive and there’s no question that several years have been challenging for the game of golf,” O’Neil said. “I believe we’re at a really special inflection point.”

Recent reports have claimed multiple vendors and contractors are yet to be paid by LIV Golf, while several of their high-profile players – including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau – have been linked with returns to the PGA Tour.

O’Neil addressed the financial challenges facing the circuit and its ambition to fit within golf’s traditional ecosystem, plus discussed how the players have reacted to their plans and how he expects LIV Golf to progress.

“This has been an extremely challenging several months for all of us,” O’Neil added. “We didn’t sign up for this. We didn’t ask for this but yet they’re here. My confidence level is high [for LIV Golf to survive] because the facts are good.

“We have work to do. We have things we have to accomplish. There are hurdles we have to jump over. It’s a very complex transaction we’ll have to deliver. But man, I wouldn’t bet against us.”

Here’s a look back at some other key comments from O’Neil’s press conference…

On competing with ‘rival’ tours:

“It’s time to move forward – let’s once again put the game first. I spent time over the last several weeks speaking with many of the guardians and stewards of the game of golf, and I heard a real appetite to put the parochial friction of the past behind us.

“I want to be crystal clear: that’s what LIV Golf wants. The philosophy is simple. If you’ve been around me before, you’ve heard it: it’s complete, not compete. Golf doesn’t need one tour to win and everyone else to lose.

“We shouldn’t live in a world where one group of golfers is uniquely restricted from playing elsewhere. Our goal isn’t to replace or restrict any tour. Our mission is to bring something distinctive to the ecosystem that elevates it and makes the game better.”

On how the ‘next chapter’ would work:

“This next chapter is fundamentally different. We are building towards a league majority owned by its players. Players aren’t simply playing for LIV Golf – they have an opportunity to own it.

“They get equity in what they’re building. They regain a majority of their commercial rights and teams become real businesses with real assets. The interests of the league and the players become truly aligned around building long-term value together.

“We certainly are going to lean more into teams, lean into teams and the national identity.

“Our vision is five marquee Team Championships on each of the five continents we play along with five team Signature Events, positioned around major championships, to make sure our players who are playing in the majors have a proper place to prepare.”

On financial ‘sustainability’ being a key focus:

“The first chapter of LIV required enormous ambition and investment. This next chapter requires something quite different: commercial discipline. That’s why this investor process matters so much and that’s why we’re spending so much time on it.

“As we announced in Bedminster, we received a signed term sheet from a lead investor. We’re also seeing significant interest from LPs and strategic partners and we expect to have a lot more to say about that very soon.

“Bringing in outside capital is not just about money. This is a tough business and so of course we need validation, but more importantly, we need some muscle, some expertise, relationships and accountability.”

On their plans should other tours penalise players involved in LIV 2.0:

“If you look at some of the feeder tours and what their prize money is, it’s simple enough for us to build events around our events and host them and bring people in. We just want to make sure we have enough events for our players to play a full schedule.

“We’re hoping that the ecosystem understands the value and power of inviting some of the most recognisable names in the world of golf into their events, into markets that others might not attend or travel to. It seems very obvious for sure.

“You don’t have to look really too much further past the sponsor invites and where they’re going – they’re going to our players. If that’s not the case, we’ll just build events. Simple as that.”

On whether DeChambeau will agree a new contract:

“I’ll leave all individual player questions to individual players. I have a lot of time for Bryson – I talk to him quite a bit.

“Having spent 30 years in this business of sports, spending time with professional athletes for most of it, I’ve never met one who’s truly… not what they say but what they do, truly focused and be mission driven. He cares about the global game of golf.

“He cares about building this next generation of fans. I don’t think anybody works harder on or off the course. Bryson has become a good friend, a good advocate of the league. I certainly hope he’s with us for the future.

“He’s been extremely supportive, as I can say most of the big guys have been.”

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BOSTON — In the long, 162-game MLB season, August marks the point in the calendar that truly tests a team’s mettle and mental fortitude: Five months in, one month before the postseason push.

For a Boston Red Sox team that has faced its share of adversity this season, August gave them an even bigger test: Sixteen games in 16 days.

The Red Sox finished that grueling stretch Wednesday, nearly pulling off another magical win when Mickey Gasper hit a game-tying, three-run homer in the sixth. But they didn’t have enough, falling 7-6 in 10 innings to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Boston finished the tough stretch 8-8, enduring their longest losing streak of the season, but bouncing back.

“We circled it a month ago: That’s going to be a little bit of a gauntlet,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “We obviously had a roaring start to it and then a blip in the middle there. We won four or five in a row, lost four or five in a row. And then (were) able to win some games here at the tail end of it. So all our guys need a day of rest and recovery and refresh.”

In the midst of it all, they lost designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (hamstring) and relievers Justin Slaten and Garrett Whitlock (elbow inflammation). Gasper has filled in admirably for Yoshida, homering in his third straight game Wednesday. But the absence of Whitlock and Slaten burned a bit more in the series finale loss to Arizona.

Payton Tolle grinded through five innings, allowing three runs. Reliever Greg Weissert gave up two more, but Erik Miller, Tayron Guerrero and Aroldis Chapman helped push the game to extras before Jovani Morán lost the zone in the 10th and gave up two more runs. Two of their best relievers surely would have helped, but each was used so much during the summer win streak that elbow soreness sidelined them.

“Yeah, it’s obvious this one, with Whit and Slate going down, you look at a couple of pockets (in the schedule), the first being that West Coast swing and then the next one being this one,” Tracy said. “You’re looking at, ‘Man, we’re going to need extra arms, we’re going to need reinforcements.’ We got some guys banged up. … It’s just a matter of mix and match what you have available.”

Everyone is banged up at this point in the season, particularly Willson Contreras, who’s been battling a sore hamstring but trying to stay on the field. During the last homestand, he didn’t run out a ground ball to first and was booed, later revealing his previously unknown hamstring tightness. The boos came again Wednesday in the 10th. After the game, Contreras was seen exchanging words with a fan in the stands near the Red Sox dugout.

“He was inviting me to dinner. I was like, ‘No, I’m good with that,’” Contreras said with a smile, noting that boos are part of the game.

“I’m not gonna get hurt running a ground ball, and if you’re a real fan and you know baseball, there’s no case for me to hustle out of the box,” he said. “I’m not 100 percent. We never are, but I’m taking care of my leg. If I have to run, I push a little bit. If I don’t, my manager has my back. I talked to him, and he gave me the permission just to do whatever it takes to take care of my legs, and that’s it. I just don’t care.”

At this point in the season, physical toughness can be nearly as important as mental strength.

“It’s more mental,” Contreras said. “You have to get the mindset where you don’t think about pain, or you don’t think about anything that hurts, but you have to be cautious about it. So, the right mindset right now is just to grind through it. Keep grinding. I know we want results. I know we all want to do our best, but at this time of the year, you have to grind.”

Tolle put it more bluntly.

“You’re in the thick of it, but I think we’re in the thick of it together,” he said. “I think that that’s kind of been the biggest emphasis whenever guys are talking postgame. For lack of a better term, (we’ve said), ‘Be in the suck together.’ Whenever it’s going rough, or long days, or whatever it is, being able to be together is what is the most important.”

There were still positives on the day. Nick Sogard hit his first career homer off Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt, who entered the day having not given up an earned run in four straight starts. The Red Sox played standout defense.

Their 32-5 stretch over the summer put the Red Sox in a good position to endure inevitable downturns and the dog days of August. They still hold a 5 1/2 game lead for the second American League wild-card spot.

Thursday’s off day couldn’t come at a better time, and there are more days off sprinkled throughout the final six weeks of the season. The Red Sox have faced plenty of tests, and coming out of the 16-game stretch at 8-8 is fine by them.

“Obviously, it’s nice to be at the end of that,” Tracy said. “It’s nice for the guys to have an off day tomorrow. It’s been a gauntlet of a 16 days, so everybody gets a day of rest and recovery and comes back ready to go.”

Multiple sagas have been unfolding during the NBA offseason. One has been the Denver Nuggets potentially tightening payroll, even though their team has to find ways to remain near the top of the brutal Western Conference. Another has been the restricted free agency of Peyton Watson. And, of course, we have the Cleveland Cavaliers trying to become true contenders in the East and making sure they duck under the second-apron payroll threshold.

At least some of these things have been addressed. The Nuggets are sending Watson to Cleveland, where he will ink a four-year, $88 million deal. The Cavaliers are sending Max Strus to the LA Clippers and draft capital to Denver. They’re also sending the recently acquired Tre Mann to the Washington Wizards, with Cam Whitmore headed to Cleveland and Julian Reese headed to Denver. According to ESPN, which first reported the trade, last week’s reported Cavs-Hornets deal involving Mann and Dennis Schröder will make this a five-team transaction overall.

What does this all mean for the teams involved? Is there another deal to be made by the Nuggets? Is Cleveland getting the right guy with Watson? Let’s bust out the red ink and slap some grades on this trade.

Cavaliers receive Peyton Watson, Cam Whitmore

This move is a risk, but it’s a risk worth taking.

Watson saw a career year across the board (14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 49.1/41.1/73.0 shooting splits) during his 54-game campaign with Denver. But a lot of that bump in production was carried by a 17-game stretch in January and early February before he hurt his hamstring. During that stretch, Watson was averaging 22.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.4 blocks and 49.8/46.2/70.3 shooting splits. A lot of that production came while Nikola Jokić was nursing a knee injury. Before that, Watson was having a modest season.

Do you believe Watson unlocked something during that stretch of games, or was it an aberration? We know Watson is a very good defender, and he’s been a respectable 3-point shooter in his brief career. It’s doubtful that he’s a guy who can just drop 20 points per game regularly, but he did show there is potentially more to his game than previously seen. Cleveland has struggled to find wings next to Donovan Mitchell and whichever All-Star lead guard it’s employing next to Mitchell. In theory, Watson should be able to solve that problem.

The Cavs still need to re-sign James Harden, which will push them above the first-apron threshold of $209 million. It could have them just below the second apron as well.

Grade: B+

Nuggets receive 2031 first-round pick, 2032 second-round pick, Julian Reese

There’s an assumption out there that shedding Watson and his potential salary will open up the Nuggets to pursue and sign veteran DeMar DeRozan. If they’re able to sign DeRozan thanks to this deal, it bumps up the grade a little more.

DeRozan would definitely help with some offense and shot creation. The problem, though, is the Nuggets aren’t really in need of a lot more offense. They need defenders to help slow down the opposition. At this stage, DeRozan, who turned 37 earlier this month, isn’t exactly a top-notch defender. That’s where Watson staying in town would have actually helped, but the Nuggets were never going to pay him $22 million per season. Their offers to him were much lower, and he was seeking a deal in the neighborhood of what the team gave Christian Braun ($125 million over five years) before last season.

Denver does get a 2031 unprotected first-round pick from Cleveland. That’s a nice asset to have, especially if you believe Cleveland will fall apart enough in four years to make that pick more valuable. The Nuggets sent out their 2031 first-round pick when they moved Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson, so they’re getting a first back for that draft. Is it possible DeRozan (if signed) gives them more than Watson would have, and at a much cheaper salary? Absolutely. Is what DeRozan would/could give them what they need? I question that.

The 2032 second-round pick comes via Sacramento, and the Nuggets are expected to waive Reese’s two-way contract. Already, we’ve seen more criticism that the Nuggets are going to waste the remaining Jokić years. That thought will ease up a bit if they sign DeRozan, but I’m not sure this qualifies as keeping up with OKC and San Antonio in the West.

Grade: C

Clippers receive Max Strus

Strus battled injuries with Cleveland and has only played in 62 games over the last two seasons. When he’s healthy, he’s a very good 3-point shooter and someone who can attack a closeout and play solid defense. The Clippers need plenty of guys like that, and they’re giving up virtually nothing to get him.

Strus is entering the final year of his deal, making $16.6 million this season. He’ll either be a valuable wing for the Clippers as they navigate a post-Kawhi Leonard existence (assuming that trade with Toronto goes through). Or the Clippers will be able to flip Strus to a contender at the trade deadline and get back something of value. This is a pretty easy move for the Clippers.

Strus is a 37.0 percent 3-point shooter for his career and has been over 38 percent in three of the last five seasons. But he has to remain on the floor for that to be a positive for the Clippers. Either way, I like the swing.

Grade: A-

Wizards receive Tre Mann, 2027 second-round pick, cash

Mann has the potential to be a really good pickup.

We’ve seen flashes of him scoring in flurries, and at times, he’s a pretty deadly 3-point shooter. However, he hasn’t shown enough in his career to consider him anything more than streaky. He had a very reduced role on Charlotte last season, as the Hornets became more serious about winning basketball games. He also shot the ball horribly pretty much the entire season. Mann is the type of guard the Wizards need off the bench. He might get you 15-20 points on any given night. He’ll push the young guys in practice and for minutes/role. The 25-year-old has also shown himself to be a capable passer and creator in certain spots.

Even though the Wizards have Trae Young and Anthony Davis, as well as Khris Middleton and Deandre Ayton, there is still a dearth of veteran presence on this roster. Most of the other guys are very young with little experience. Mann has only played in five seasons, totaling 234 games, but he did come from the OKC system, and the Thunder usually don’t bring in guys who can’t play and contribute. The Wizards are hoping to get that potential realized within their rotation.

Grade: B+