LIV Accuses DP World Tour of Interference at Bankruptcy Hearing — SkimNews
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- LIV Golf accused the DP World Tour of a "clear attempt to interfere" with its restructuring, with attorney Rob Fitzgerald of Gibson Dunn telling the court the timing "strikes us as a clear attempt to interfere with our process with our players."
- Judge Michael B. Kaplan, presiding over the New Jersey Bankruptcy Court, responded that "the comments I have read do raise concerns," after Fitzgerald argued the DP World Tour's stance echoed anti-competitive behavior LIV had previously alleged.
- Fitzgerald said LIV would know "by the end of the month" whether it could proceed as LIV 2.0 or "toggle to a wind-down," with the "two critical pieces" being BC Partners' investment and signing a "sufficient number of players" by the 25th of the month.
- DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings told BBC Sport on Monday that "players need to make a choice," toughening the tour's policy on players competing across both circuits after years of conditional releases for stars like Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.
- The court on Wednesday rejected 19 player contracts — including those of Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson — after LIV filed for Chapter 11 protection in September following Saudi Arabia's withdrawal of multibillion-dollar funding.
- LIV owes its participants at least $45m (£33m), and player contracts had been previously "rejected" as part of a court-supervised restructuring Fitzgerald said he hopes to conclude in early 2027.
- Rory McIlroy, speaking ahead of the DP World India Championship, said the DP World Tour was "well within their rights to change the rules" and was "more than accommodating" to defectors, adding that LIV was "in such a state of flux."
Why it matters: LIV is now openly asking a U.S. bankruptcy judge to view the DP World Tour's membership policy as anti-competitive interference at the exact moment LIV is trying to lock in a roster and BC Partners investment by the 25th — if that deadline slips, Fitzgerald said, LIV could shift to a wind-down. The rejected contracts covering 19 players and $45m owed to participants make the court the de facto gatekeeper of LIV 2.0's viability.
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