When Scott O'Neil took the helm as LIV Golf's new CEO last year, he knew he was stepping into a role that was equal parts job and challenge. But nothing could have fully prepared him for the bombshell that dropped last month: Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund—the nearly trillion-dollar powerhouse behind LIV—announced it would end its funding of the tour at the close of this season. Since then, O'Neil has been on a whirlwind mission, rallying potential investors and mapping out a bold new future for what was once golf's most disruptive league.

In an exclusive one-on-one with Yahoo Sports, O'Neil sat down at Club 54—LIV's exclusive 18th-green hospitality suite—to share his vision for the tour's short- and long-term prospects, its global ambitions, and his hopes for unity in the sport. Here's what he had to say about where LIV is headed next.

So, what exactly is LIV right now? A tour? An event? A bit of both?

"That's a great question, and I think the answer lies in the opportunity we see in golf right now. Consider this: in the era of Tiger Woods, roughly 46 of the 47 biggest golf events in the world have been held in the United States. The other one? The UK. But COVID taught us something powerful—golf has massive room to grow. It's got serious tailwinds, and it's expanding globally. Markets around the world are hungry for it."

"Then there's the team format. Team golf is an incredible way to grow the game—just look at the Ryder Cup. It's electric. And third, every other major sport has figured out how to use music, art, fashion, culture, and food to widen their audience. Golf is finally catching on to that."

"Finally, I've learned that golf is different from every other sport I've worked in—from basketball to football to hockey. But the core lesson is the same: if you build something that connects with fans on a deeper level, they'll show up. That's what we're doing with LIV. We're betting on the 8 billion people around the world who love sport, culture, and community. That's our future."