LIV raises DP World Tour interference concerns as restructuring deadline nears

LIV Golf has accused the DP World Tour of interfering with its efforts to reorganise, after the European tour said golfers who compete on LIV next season would not be granted membership. BBC Sport reported that LIV raised its concerns at a bankruptcy court hearing on Wednesday, with the organisation approaching a deadline to establish whether it can continue operating.

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Rob Fitzgerald, the lawyer representing LIV, questioned the timing of the membership policy and argued that it could disrupt discussions with players as well as the broader restructuring. Judge Michael B. Kaplan, who is overseeing the case in New Jersey Bankruptcy Court, said comments he had read raised concerns. The BBC report did not describe a ruling on LIV’s allegations.

The DP World Tour declined to respond to Fitzgerald’s statement. Its chief executive, Guy Kinnings, had told BBC Sport on Monday that players would have to choose between the tours. That position marks a change from arrangements in previous years, when conditional releases allowed some leading golfers, including Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, to compete on both circuits.

Fitzgerald identified two requirements for the proposed successor league, known as LIV 2.0: resolving structural matters involving investment from BC Partners and securing enough players by October 25. He told the court that LIV expected to decide by the end of the month whether to proceed or wind down. If the revised competition goes ahead, payments to venues, suppliers and other parties would need to begin soon so events could be prepared.

LIV entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September following Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal of funding, according to BBC Sport. The organisation hopes to complete its court-supervised restructuring in early 2027. Existing player contracts have been rejected during the process, leaving golfers free from any obligation to participate in the future league. Wednesday’s hearing included the rejection of 19 contracts, among them those of Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson.

Those contracts had been carried over from the previous week’s hearing because the players wanted clarity about their ability to discuss their futures with other parties. The membership dispute therefore comes as LIV seeks fresh commitments rather than relying on its previous agreements. Whether enough players sign up, and whether the investment arrangements can be completed, remained unresolved at the hearing.