BC Partners is dropping its bid to relaunch LIV Golf because it could not secure enough player commitments, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
The Athletic, citing multiple sources, reported that LIV Golf is preparing to wind down operations after BC Partners concluded it had run out of time to make a “LIV 2.0” relaunch viable.
LIV Golf launched in 2022 with funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which invested more than $5 billion in the league since its launch. The league lured leading players from the PGA Tour, including Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson.
PIF announced it was ending its financial backing after the 2026 season, and LIV filed for bankruptcy protection in New Jersey in September 2026 as part of a restructuring.
In October, BC Partners made an initial investment and planned to provide up to $300 million in financing to help the league emerge from restructuring ahead of the 2027 season. Its decision came as a deadline loomed to show enough player support to hold a tournament series in 2027.
LIV failed to secure contractual commitments from DeChambeau and Johnson, as well as Cam Smith and Joaquin Niemann, Sports Business Journal reported. Former world number one Jon Rahm is among high-profile golfers who have left LIV since it filed for bankruptcy protection.
LIV is expected to appear at a Thursday hearing in US bankruptcy court in Trenton, New Jersey, to discuss contracts, leases and assets. It is unclear whether its ultimate fate will also be discussed, so the wind-down is not yet legally finalised.
Rory McIlroy told reporters earlier on Wednesday ahead of the Abu Dhabi Championship: “They took players; they took sponsors; they turned professional golf into an arms race.”
LIV did not provide a comment when contacted by Reuters. BC Partners did not respond to requests for comment.
Source: Reuters
