LIV Golf is winding down operations and heading toward liquidation, closing a chapter that saw the Saudi-backed league spend $5 billion in a failed attempt to reshape professional golf.
The league officially admitted defeat during a bankruptcy hearing that lasted only 13 minutes. Lawyers informed the court that the planned “LIV Golf 2.0” would not go forward. The league is slated to be liquidated by early 2027. The collapse follows years of intense legal and financial turbulence that began in 2021 when Saudi Arabia, a nation holding the world’s largest oil reserves, launched the league as a vanity project.
The end result of the $5 billion expenditure includes a pile of receipts and golf’s biggest question: How do you spend $5 billion and have nothing to show for it?
While the league attempted to remain viable by scrambling to enlist top golfers, it ultimately faced an ultimatum from the European Tour, which barred players from bouncing between circuits. The failure to secure a deal with BC Partners, as key players were unwilling to commit by the mandated deadline, solidified the end of the venture.
The league’s history was defined by an “arms race” that saw the recruitment of major names like Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka through nine-figure contracts.
Phil Mickelson served as a prominent frontman, motivated by grievances regarding what he characterized as the PGA Tour’s “obnoxious greed.” During the height of the conflict, LIV operated by making instinctive decisions, often relying on a pyre of capital to build an infrastructure of reasoning after the fact.
Contractors and staff reported payment delays of up to $100,000 per person. When reached for comment regarding the league’s final status, a spokesperson for LIV did not provide answers, offering instead a bulleted list of talking points focused on previous “business momentum.”
As the league fades, the focus shifts to the DP World Tour, which has become a landing spot for former LIV golfers. Eight former LIV players are participating in this week’s DP World Tour Championship, including Eugenio Chacarra and Bernd Wiesberger, who departed the rebel league while it was still burning through cash.
Jon Rahm, a two-time major champion and one of the league’s biggest names, has already found success post-LIV. He captured the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship in his first start since the league’s conclusion.
Rahm has expressed a desire to organize his schedule to play the events he prefers, noting that his plan is to spend the year on the DP World Tour while awaiting clarity on his PGA Tour status.
The transition for other players remains complex. While the PGA Tour currently enforces a one-year ban from a player’s final LIV appearance—a penalty that would be lifted on August 24, 2027, provided no other disciplinary issues arise—the path forward for 2028 is still being defined.
Other players, such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Paul Casey, Louis Oosthuizen, and Branden Grace, possess pathways to join through specific membership categories if they choose to pursue them.
Meanwhile, the DP World Tour continues to integrate these athletes, with Josele Ballester, Byeong Hun-An, and John Catlin recently earning their 2027 tour cards through Q School. As the golf world moves past the era of the rebel league, Rory McIlroy remains focused on his own objectives.
This includes the pursuit of his eighth Race to Dubai title. The final chapter for LIV Golf will be settled in a New Jersey bankruptcy court, with the next hearing scheduled for late November.
Earlier coverage: Uncertain Future Ahead for Bryson DeChambeau After LIV Collapse
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