LIV GOLF FACES LIQUIDATION AS BC PARTNERS DROPS RESCUE PLAN

LIV Golf faces possible liquidation after BC Partners withdrew a plan to provide up to $300 million to fund a relaunch of the tour, known as LIV Golf 2.0. The league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September and is due in a US bankruptcy court on Thursday, with the hearing now expected to focus on liquidating its assets. BC Partners pulled the proposal after LIV failed to secure enough player commitments, the Associated Press reported. Neither LIV Golf nor BC Partners responded to requests for comment.

LIV was forced into bankruptcy proceedings after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund said in September it would stop funding the tour after the 2026 season. PIF has invested more than $5 billion in the league since its 2022 launch, according to the bankruptcy filing. BC Partners' plan would have made players majority owners of a restructured league with a scaled-back schedule. Several prominent players left LIV during the search for new investment, including Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, Tyrell Hatton and Ian Poulter. Rahm told reporters ahead of the Abu Dhabi Championship: "There were too many unknowns at the time, and there's still quite a few."

Around 30 players are believed to have committed to LIV Golf for the 2027 season, The Athletic reported. A further ten, including Bryson DeChambeau, Cam Smith, Joaquin Niemann and Dustin Johnson, had yet to sign contracts. LIV's board had believed a path forward remained possible if those players joined the restructured league. A source told The Athletic: "Essentially, time has run its course." Thursday's hearing will determine the next steps in the bankruptcy process.