LIV Golf relaunch collapses as $300M backers withdraw after last stars standing including Bryson DeChambeau refused to commit
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LIV Golf's relaunch looks set to collapse after BC Partners Credit decided to drop its $300 million backing of a new iteration of the league.
After losing funding from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the league's 2026 season ended earlier than expected due to financial difficulties.
After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September, the league looked to find a way to survive and launch 'LIV 2.0' without the Saudi riches.
BC Partners committed to investing around $300 million as long as certain conditions were met.
But they had a deadline to show it had enough player support for a 2027 league and, according to the Financial Times, has now shelved its backing due to a lack of player commitments.
According to the Sports Business Journal, a source said: 'None of the big names signed', later confirming that included Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith.
LIV Golf is set to wind down permanently after the $300M backer of 'LIV 2.0' withdrew funding
The Saudi Public Investment Fund pulled its massive funding in LIV Golf earlier this year
The Athletic adds that the league is now pivoting to a complete wind-down and shutting down LIV Golf entirely as BC Partners felt time had run out and it no longer believed it could form a viable league.
The liquidation process is expected to start in a New Jersey bankruptcy court on Thursday.
Numerous big names publicly declared they would not return in recent weeks, including Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Sergio Garcia and more.
Only four players had publicly committed - Cameron Tringale, Richard Bland, Brendan Steele and Ben Campbell.
Speaking to Bunkered last month, BC chief, Ted Goldthorpe, said: 'The players are everything. They're our partners and they're very, very important to our future.'
Just this week, Bryson DeChambeau spoke publicly about the relaunch and said he hoped it could last 'forever' under new ownership
Speaking on the 'Figuring Out' podcast he said the new version can 'make full financial sense' as he acknowledged problems with the Saudi-funded model which shook up professional golf.
'The business model makes a lot of sense,' DeChambeau told host Raj Shamani. 'And we're actually working through that right now for this new model where it will make full financial sense.
Dustin Johnson is among the big names who was unwilling to commit to the new league plans
Jon Rahm was among the big names who recently said he would not be involved in LIV 2.0
'It's no funny business, no nothing. It's going to be done right. And this is going to be a league, hopefully, that exists forever.
'The point of it is that the team golf stuff, I was very excited about,' DeChambeau said. 'I really care, and I still do care deeply about the team golf stuff.
'And the top company just wasn't really managed that effectively. And I know that now... I didn't know that during the time.'
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