LIV Golf Fate to Be Decided by Month's End, Court Told — SkimNews
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- LIV Golf attorney Robert Fitzgerald told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael B. Kaplan the league should determine by the end of November whether it will shut down or move forward with LIV 2.0
- Fitzgerald called the DP World Tour's decision to withhold conditional status from LIV 2.0 players in 2027 a "clear attempt to interfere" with LIV's restructuring, and Kaplan agreed the comments "do raise concerns" about anti-competitive behavior
- Judge Kaplan approved LIV Golf's motion to reject current player contracts — described as incompatible with LIV 2.0's compensation structure — along with an amended deal in which BC Partners will provide up to $300 million in financing, starting with a $4 million loan to sustain operations through Chapter 11
- A court filing outlines LIV 2.0 ownership as 52.5% to golfers, 45% to BC Partners and potential minority investors, and 2.5% to management, with a Nov. 16 deadline for DP World Tour membership applications
- Jon Rahm, the two-time major champion, has told the court through his attorney he won't join LIV 2.0, and David Puig and Abraham Ancer are also exiting, while Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Harold Varner III have asked to be released from their contracts
- An ad hoc group of LIV players including Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Lee Westwood appeared at the hearing for the first time as the judge greenlit the rejection motion
Why it matters: LIV's survival hinges on retaining talent: BC Partners is committing up to $300 million and handing golfers 52.5% equity, yet marquee names like Jon Rahm are already walking away while the DP World Tour's dual-circuit ban strips away the Ryder Cup pathway that made dual membership attractive in the first place.
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