LIV Golf charged the DP World Tour with meddling in its bankruptcy case during a hearing that saw Bryson DeChambeau and others released from their contracts.
The rebel league aims to restart next season with fresh financing from BC Partners Capital after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund pulled out, having poured $5bn (£3.7bn) over four years.
To do that, it filed for Chapter 11, forcing it to void current player deals so they can be re‑signed under a revamped LIV 2.0 structure.
The DP World Tour announced this week it will enforce stricter rules: any golfer joining LIV 2.0 will lose tour membership and be barred from Ryder Cup eligibility.
Many view the move as a final blow to LIV’s waning hopes; US media reported its lawyer Robert Fitzgerald told the New York bankruptcy court, “We’re monitoring this closely and are frankly very concerned.” For my money, the tour’s hardline stance could finally end LIV’s comeback hopes.
He added, “The timing appears to be a clear attempt to disrupt our process, our players and possibly our broader reorganisation.”
DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings said Monday, “Players must choose. As we’ve long maintained, our rules protect the Tour and all members must obey them.”
He continued, “Anyone unwilling to follow our regulations should not be looking to join the Tour.”
At the same New York hearing, Judge Michael B. Kaplan approved a motion to void the existing contracts of 19 golfers after LIV argued they “don’t match the planned compensation model for LIV 2.0.”
That frees stars like DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Lee Westwood to explore other opportunities.
Jon Rahm’s release, confirmed at the hearing, saw him relinquish all claims against LIV’s bankruptcy estate, estimated at up to $150m (£113m).
LIV has surrendered nearly all rights to Rahm’s name, image, likeness, trademarks and branding, while Rahm retains control of his LIV team Legion XIII’s intellectual property.
The next bankruptcy hearing is set for October 20, with a player‑commitment deadline of October 25 agreed between LIV and BC Partners.
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