The DP World Tour will refuse membership to golfers who sign up for LIV Golf 2.0 for the 2027 season, the tour’s chief executive confirmed Monday. Unlike in recent seasons, the tour will not grant conditional status to players who join the rival league. Golfers must apply for DP World Tour membership by Nov. 16.
DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings told BBC Sport that “players need to make a choice.” He added, “We have rules and regulations, which are there to protect our tour and which our members must all abide by. Players who are not willing to comply with our rules and regulations should not be seeking to join our tour.”
The policy has consequences for the Ryder Cup. Golfers must be DP World Tour members to compete for Europe in next year’s event, which is scheduled for Sept. 17-19 at Adare Manor in Ireland.
Conditional status reversed
This season, the DP World Tour allowed some golfers to play on both tours, granting conditional status to more than 10 LIV golfers. That group included two-time major champion Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, David Puig and others.
Last week, Rahm’s attorney, John Beck, told a bankruptcy hearing that the Spanish golfer will not be part of LIV Golf 2.0. Beck said Rahm and LIV Golf were working to finalize a separation agreement by Thursday.
Bankruptcy and restructuring
LIV Golf and its related entities voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 8. According to court records, the league reported between $100 million and $500 million in assets and $500 million to $1 billion in liabilities.
On Oct. 5, LIV Golf filed a restructuring support agreement with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey. The league indicated it would receive a $300 million investment from BC Partners, provided certain conditions are met. BC Partners’ initial investment was $4 million.
One condition is the “execution of New Player Agreements consistent with the LIV 2.0 business plan that include players required by BC Partners.” It is unclear which players, and how many, must sign up for LIV Golf 2.0 for the deal to proceed. The agreement extended the deadline for current LIV golfers to commit to the league until Oct. 25. Sources say BC Partners could extend or waive that deadline.
LIV Golf is also seeking the bankruptcy court’s authority to terminate its existing player contracts, a request that will be discussed at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The league says this step is necessary to execute new LIV Golf 2.0 agreements and a proposed compensation and player ownership structure.
League remains optimistic
A source with knowledge of the restructuring said, “Conversations with players regarding their participation in LIV Golf 2.0 remain fully on track, and the league continues to progress toward a transaction with BC Partners.”
BC Partners CEO Ted Goldthorpe spoke at the Sportico Invest Conference in London last week. “We’re super committed,” he said. “As [LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil] said, we’re going to start hiring back employees and planning for next year’s events. All systems go.”
Goldthorpe added, “The next 22 days will be about signing up the players, and I feel very good about that. We’ve had a lot of constructive dialogue with them. We obviously have a deadline now, but that’s the next big step for us.”
Contract disputes
Court records show that Sergio Garcia, a LIV Golf captain, has been released from his contract. Attorneys representing other golfers, including Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Cameron Tringale, Matthew Wolff and Marc Leishman, have also asked the court for further clarification on the status of their contracts with LIV Golf.
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