Wentworth has firmly stated it is "not for sale" following claims by a DP World Tour player that the renowned Surrey golf club was in discussions with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), which funds LIV Golf.
Eddie Pepperell alleged on his Chipping Forecast podcast that the club was negotiating with the PIF regarding the sale of the course, which hosts the DP World Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship.
In 2014, Wentworth was sold to Thai-Chinese investment firm, the Reignwood Group, for £135million. The club has now quashed Pepperell's claim, releasing a statement to Golf Monthly.
"Wentworth Club can today confirm that these rumours are unfounded," the statement read. "Wentworth Club is not for sale. There have been numerous expressions of interest in buying Wentworth post-COVID, but Reignwood is committed to its position of long-term investment in the asset."
Wentworth further clarified that there has "not been any direct dialogue between Reignwood and PIF, nor is the ownership group seeking investment with the club 'in good financial status'". Reignwood maintains that the club is "an important asset" in its global portfolio of golf courses, reports the Mirror.
The statement concluded: "There has always been global interest coming directly or through agencies with expressions of interest in purchasing the club.
"Wentworth Club is not for sale, the Reignwood Group is committed to the club's future and is excited about the imminent launch of the reimagined and restored East Course as well as the new state-of-the-art golf academy."
In 2022, LIV Golf made a splash in the golfing world, backed by PIF's substantial investment, luring elite players like Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka away from the PGA Tour. Since then, stars such as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have signed on with hefty deals.
Greg Norman, the commissioner and CEO of the tour and a two-time major winner, disclosed in May that LIV aimed to emulate the PGA Tour's model of owning courses.
The PGA Tour has an array of venues under the Tournament Players Club (TPC) branding, including TPC Sawgrass, the prestigious venue of The Players Championship.
"Man United owns their stadium. Indian Premier League, they own their stadiums. NFL, they own their stadiums," Norman highlighted.
"Think about LIV owning all its own golf courses, each team having a home venue and hosting. And now you can build out around that. It's not just a golf course.
"You bring in education, hospitality, real estate, merchandise, management, and all these other different opportunities that the game of golf has to deliver to a community or to a region. We are going to be doing that."
However, if LIV Golf has set its sights on Wentworth, it appears the Saudi-funded league is bound for disappointment and will need to seek an alternative UK base. Its most recent event in England took place at JCB Golf and Country Club in Staffordshire in July.
This year's edition of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth culminated in a thrilling climax, with Billy Horschel triumphing over Rory McIlroy with an eagle on the second playoff hole to secure his second victory in the event.
