LIV Golf Set to Wind Down as $300M Rescue Collapses Before Thursday Court Hearing

LIV Golf is on the verge of closing down. The breakaway league is expected to tell a bankruptcy court in Trenton, New Jersey, on Thursday that its planned relaunch cannot proceed, after the investor lined up to save it walked away and its biggest stars refused to sign up. Private equity firm BC Partners had agreed to provide up to $300 million to fund a restructured LIV 2.0, built around team ownership and player equity stakes, with at least 10 tournaments planned for 2027. But the firm pulled out this week after LIV failed to secure enough player commitments before a deadline that passed last Sunday. Only four players had publicly committed to the new league, and Sports Business Journal reported that Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann were among the high-profile names who decided not to sign. The Athletic reports that LIV is now preparing to wind down its business, and the New York Times said Thursday's hearing, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Eastern, could start the process of liquidating the league's assets. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which has poured more than $5 billion into LIV since its 2022 launch, announced in April that it would end its backing after the 2026 season, and the league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September. The collapse was hastened by the DP World Tour, which said last month that players who signed for LIV 2.0 would be barred from its membership in 2027, ending any Ryder Cup hopes. LIV's final event was in Indianapolis in August, and its future now rests with the court.