Australian golfer Lucas Herbert has spoken candidly about the psychological toll of LIV Golf's financial uncertainty, revealing he genuinely contemplated walking away from the sport as fears mounted that the breakaway league was on the brink of collapse. Herbert made the remarks ahead of this week's Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, near Liverpool, where he is one of seven Australians competing beginning Thursday.

Herbert's existential crisis: 'Is this what I want to keep doing?'

The crisis point arrived in April when reports emerged that LIV Golf's primary financial backer, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, would not continue funding the league beyond the current season. For Herbert, who holds no tour status outside Australia, the prospect was deeply destabilising.

"I've had plenty of existential crises since April when all hell broke loose in Mexico City for us," Herbert said after a practice round at Royal Birkdale. "There were a lot of questions for myself around, 'Is this what I want to keep doing?'"

When asked directly whether that included thoughts of quitting golf altogether, he confirmed: "Yeah."

"I've got no tour status [except in Australia]. I know how hard that was the first time," he said. "Whether this house I'm building, the employees I have, can I afford to pay their wages? I don't know what my life looks like past, well, sometimes a week. At times, it's been a couple of months. It's been unnerving."

Herbert described an atmosphere of intense rumour and anxiety within the 57-player LIV circuit, particularly during the Mexico City event when a wave of reports suggested the league was on the verge of shutting down entirely. He recalled opening his phone to find his news feed flooded with stories about LIV's imminent collapse — while players and their teams were still mid-tournament.

"There was one [LIV] player who walked off during the pro-am and got a flight home because he thought it was all going to be cancelled that afternoon," Herbert said. "Then you've got guys at the other end saying it'll be fine. You just have a range of emotions … so it's really tough."

Financial stakes and the LIV Golf future

Despite the turmoil, Herbert had a strong financial year on the circuit. He pocketed $US4 million ($A5.77 million) after winning his maiden LIV Golf League title in May in Virginia — a result that will have provided some buffer against the ongoing uncertainty.

LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil has maintained that the organisation is in active talks to secure new investment, though the long-term future of the circuit — including its popular Adelaide event — has remained unclear. Herbert, however, is confident the South Australian tournament will endure if LIV itself survives.

"If LIV happens at all, we'll go to Adelaide. It's a no-brainer," he said. "You might play there 10 times the way the LIV schedule is going."

He also reflected on the broader mood the uncertainty had created, describing a world where long-term planning felt almost impossible. "There's not a lot of loyalty in business any more," he said. "It can put a dampener on the way you look at the world at times."

Herbert among seven Australians at Royal Birkdale

Herbert tees off at 11.09pm AEST on Thursday, part of a strong Australian contingent at this year's Open. Fellow LIV golfer and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith — whose Claret Jug victory at St Andrews remains the only Australian triumph since Greg Norman's win at Royal St George's in 1993 — gets underway at 9.14pm AEST. The Australians also include Travis Smyth, Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, Adam Scott and Cameron John.

Defending champion and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler headlines the field, with conditions at Royal Birkdale expected to be firm and fast. For Herbert, contesting his sixth Open Championship, it will be a chance to focus on golf after months of distracting uncertainty off the course.

"Then you see some kids out there and you think, 'oh the world is fine,'" he said. "That's the kind of world we're living in now."