LIV Golf challenges DP World Tour policy as restructuring deadlines approach

LIV Golf has accused the DP World Tour of interfering with its restructuring after the European circuit said it would deny membership to players competing in LIV next season. According to BBC Sport, LIV's lawyer raised the dispute during a Wednesday hearing in New Jersey Bankruptcy Court, where the organisation also outlined deadlines for deciding whether a revamped competition can go ahead.

Rob Fitzgerald, representing LIV through law firm Gibson Dunn, told the court that the timing of the DP World Tour's position threatened discussions with players and raised concerns about competition between tours. The DP World Tour declined to comment on his statement. Its chief executive, Guy Kinnings, had told BBC Sport on Monday that players would have to choose between the circuits. Conditional releases had previously allowed players including Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to compete on both.

Fitzgerald identified two requirements for the proposed LIV 2.0: completing structural arrangements connected to investment from BC Partners and securing enough players by October 25 to form a viable league. He said the organisation expected to decide by the end of the month whether to proceed or wind down. Judge Michael B. Kaplan had asked when the court could expect clarity on those alternatives.

The financial timetable also depends on that decision. Fitzgerald said that, once the new league's future was clear, payments would soon be needed for host venues, suppliers and other parties so events could be prepared. BBC Sport reported that LIV sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September after Saudi Arabia withdrew its funding. The organisation hopes to complete the court-supervised restructuring in early 2027.

Player contracts are another central part of the proceedings. Nineteen contracts, including those of Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson, were rejected at Wednesday's hearing. Their consideration had been postponed the previous week while players sought clarity about speaking to third parties regarding their futures. According to the BBC report, players are not obliged to participate in LIV going forward, and the organisation owes its participants at least $45 million.

Rory McIlroy defended the DP World Tour's ability to change its regulations, saying the policy was intended to protect its business. Speaking before the DP World India Championship, he also said the tour had accommodated players seeking to leave LIV. The competing positions remain unresolved as LIV works towards its player-signing deadline and the subsequent decision on whether its proposed successor league can launch.