LIV sets end-of-month decision target as DP World Tour dispute intensifies

LIV Golf expects to know by the end of October whether it can proceed with a restructured league, its lawyer told a bankruptcy hearing on Wednesday, according to BBC Sport. The organisation also challenged the DP World Tour's decision to deny membership next season to players who continue competing on the LIV circuit.

Rob Fitzgerald, representing LIV, argued that the timing of the European tour's stance risked disrupting negotiations with players and the wider reorganisation. He raised concerns about competition and player freedom, but those were LIV's arguments rather than a court finding. The DP World Tour declined to comment on his statement, the BBC reported.

The hearing outlined two requirements for the proposed LIV 2.0: resolving structural arrangements linked to investment from BC Partners and securing enough players by 25 October to operate a viable league. Fitzgerald told Judge Michael B. Kaplan in the New Jersey Bankruptcy Court that a decision between proceeding and winding down was expected before the month ended. Payments to venues, vendors and other parties would then be needed to prepare events if the relaunch went ahead.

LIV sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States in September after Saudi Arabia withdrew its funding, according to the report. The organisation hopes to complete its court-supervised restructuring in early 2027. Player contracts have been rejected during that process, leaving players under no obligation to remain with LIV. Wednesday's hearing included rejection of 19 contracts, among them those of Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson, after those players had sought clarity about discussing their futures with third parties.

The membership dispute marks a change from arrangements that previously allowed some leading golfers, including Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, to compete on both circuits through conditional releases. DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings told BBC Sport on Monday that players would have to choose. LIV's position is that golfers should retain flexibility to compete across tours.

Rory McIlroy defended the European tour's right to change its regulations and protect its business, speaking before the DP World India Championship. He also described LIV's position as unsettled. With player recruitment and investment arrangements still unresolved, Fitzgerald's timetable remains a target for a decision, not confirmation that the proposed league will launch.