Roughly half a year following the departure of its initial monetary investor, reports indicate that LIV Golf’s prospective savior has backed out, with private equity group BC Partners abandoning its proposal to maintain the organization’s operations. BC Partners had formerly pledged more than $300 million in order to preserve LIV Golf, as the venture sought to reshape its identity after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund chose to cease funding the rival tour that initially set out to eclipse the PGA Tour.
Even though nearly 15 golfers had shown willingness to participate in “LIV Golf 2.0,” BC Partners opted to withdraw the financial backing it initially pledged in August, judging that the initiative lacked a sufficient quantity of competitors—and prominent star power—to remain sustainable, as reported by the Financial Times and The Athletic. The investment firm had anticipated securing minimum double the amount of player pledges.
Consequently, LIV Golf might now be forced to sell off its holdings and permanently close down operations.
Earlier, the PIF had poured roughly $7 billion into launching LIV Golf, covering massive athlete agreements (with several topping $100 million) and supporting five seasons of play. Following the PIF’s withdrawal of resources, the circuit had to scrap a pair of events, while simultaneously defaulting on payments to contractors and certain golfers. In September, LIV Golf submitted a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, pledging to secure fresh capitalization and restructure the tour.
Almost all high-profile athletes have exited the venture, such as Jon Rahm, who negotiated a prominent severance package with the tour, along with Sergio Garcia and Tyrrell Hatton. Brooks Koepka previously secured an exit route by agreeing to sanctions and rejoining the PGA Tour prior to the 2026 campaign, whereas Bryson DeChambeau lately declared his intent to stick with the refreshed version of LIV Golf. Meanwhile, the contractual statuses of figures like Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith, and Dustin Johnson remain uncertain.
Attorneys representing Rahm alongside additional LIV Golf claimants are set to attend a court proceeding in New Jersey this Thursday to settle their arrangements. Deprived of capital right before this legal session, LIV Golf may ultimately be forced to sell off its remaining assets and dismantle the circuit completely.
The PGA Tour has shown reluctance regarding creating new avenues for ex-LIV Golf competitors to rejoin, although a few might re-earn their Tour privileges and enter events by navigating standard qualification routes.
CBS Sports will provide ongoing updates as this situation unfolds.
