LIV Golf Loses $300 Million Backer, Faces Imminent Shutdown
BC Partners withdrew its funding commitment, leaving the league with approximately 15 interested players and no confirmed capital to restart operations.
By Alina Marshall ·
LIV Golf launched in 2022 with the intent to disrupt the PGA Tour, but the league is now facing a potential end to operations after losing its latest financial supporter. The collapse marks a sharp reversal for a circuit that once commanded nine-figure contracts for its stars.
Private capital firm BC Partners has decided to drop its bid to keep the league running, according to reports from The Athletic and the Financial Times. The firm had committed upwards of $300 million in August to help the league reinvent itself after the Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) withdrew its support. BC Partners pulled out because it believed the player roster was too small and lacked sufficient high-profile names to ensure viability. The firm was expecting at least twice as many player commitments as it currently holds.
Approximately 15 players have expressed interest in a new iteration of the league, often referred to as LIV Golf 2.0. This number falls short of the threshold required to secure the necessary backing. With the funding gone, the league may have no choice but to liquidate its assets and shut down entirely.
The PIF originally invested approximately $7 billion to start the league and fund player contracts over five seasons. When the PIF withdrew its funding, the league cancelled two tournaments and failed to pay some vendors and players. In September, the league promised to find a new backer and reimagine its structure, but that plan has now stalled.
Nearly every major player has departed the league. Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Sergio Garcia have left. Brooks Koepka accepted penalties to return to the PGA Tour ahead of the 2026 season. Bryson DeChambeau stated he is planning to see the new version of the league through, while the contract situations for Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, and Joaquin Niemann remain unclear.
Representatives for Rahm and other creditors are scheduled to appear at a hearing in New Jersey on Thursday. They hope to finalize their agreements during this session. The PGA Tour has been hesitant to open additional pathways for former LIV players to return, though some could regain their playing cards through traditional qualifying procedures.
