LIV Golf has accused the DP World Tour of attempting to interfere with its restructuring and player negotiations, taking professional golf’s long-running dispute back into the courtroom.
The allegation was raised during a federal bankruptcy court hearing in New Jersey, days after the DP World Tour confirmed players who commit to LIV Golf 2.0 will not be permitted to hold membership on the European circuit in 2027.
The timing is significant, with LIV players facing an October 25 deadline to decide whether to sign up for the proposed relaunch.
LIV argues the DP World Tour’s decision could influence those negotiations at a critical stage of its Chapter 11 restructuring.
LIV Raises Interference Concerns
LIV attorney Robert Fitzgerald told the court the league was monitoring the DP World Tour’s position closely and reserving its legal rights.
“The timing in particular strikes us as a clear attempt to interfere with our process with our players,” Fitzgerald said.
He also raised competition concerns, arguing that golfers considering LIV 2.0 were being forced to choose between the two circuits.
Those claims remain allegations from LIV’s legal team. No court has ruled that the DP World Tour unlawfully interfered with the restructuring or breached competition law.
Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan asked to be kept informed of developments surrounding the dispute, but made no finding against the DP World Tour.
DP World Tour Ends Dual-Tour Option
The DP World Tour’s position does not permanently exclude every golfer who has previously played LIV.
Instead, it ends the conditional arrangements that allowed selected golfers to compete on both circuits during 2026.
From next season, players intending to compete on LIV 2.0 will not receive DP World Tour membership.
Chief executive Guy Kinnings has defended the move as necessary to protect the circuit and its members.
“Players need to make a choice,” Kinnings said.
For European golfers, that choice also carries Ryder Cup consequences because DP World Tour membership remains a requirement for eligibility at Adare Manor in 2027.
October 25 Looms Large
LIV’s future now depends heavily on how many players commit to its new model.
BC Partners Credit has agreed to provide up to US$300 million as part of the restructuring, subject to the conditions attached to the deal and the bankruptcy process.
LIV 2.0 would look considerably different from the league that launched with enormous guaranteed player contracts.
The proposed structure would place greater emphasis on player ownership, signing incentives and reduced guarantees, with participating golfers collectively receiving a significant equity stake in the business.
The October 25 commitment deadline therefore represents one of the most important dates in LIV’s short history.
A decision on whether LIV 2.0 proceeds or the organisation moves towards winding down is expected before the end of the month.
Existing Player Contracts Rejected
The bankruptcy court has also approved LIV’s request to reject the existing contracts of 19 players, clearing the way for new negotiations under the proposed structure.
The group includes several of the league’s biggest names, including American Bryson DeChambeau, American Dustin Johnson, Australian Cameron Smith and American Bubba Watson.
Rejecting those agreements does not mean every player is leaving LIV, but it removes the previous contractual framework as the league attempts to negotiate new terms.
Several prominent players have already decided against continuing.
Spain’s Jon Rahm has rejected the LIV 2.0 proposal, while fellow Spaniard David Puig and South African Adrian Meronk are among those moving away from the circuit.
That leaves LIV with a narrowing window to convince enough recognised players that the new model is worth committing to.
Golf’s Legal Battle Returns
For the DP World Tour, the argument is straightforward: its members must comply with the regulations governing its tournaments and schedules.
LIV’s position is that players should have greater freedom to compete across multiple circuits and that the DP World Tour’s decision has arrived at a particularly damaging moment in its restructuring.
That disagreement has now returned professional golf to territory that appeared to be receding — lawyers, bankruptcy hearings and arguments over player movement.
The difference this time is that LIV is fighting from a far less secure position.
Its original model was backed by enormous guaranteed contracts and substantial Saudi funding. LIV 2.0 is attempting to persuade players to accept a different proposition based more heavily on equity and the potential future value of the league.
Those players must now decide whether that opportunity outweighs access to the DP World Tour and, for eligible Europeans, a potential Ryder Cup place.
With October 25 approaching, LIV’s future could soon become considerably clearer.
