LIV Golf’s attorney told a federal bankruptcy judge on Wednesday that the league should learn by the end of the month whether it will shut down or move forward with LIV 2.0. Robert Fitzgerald also argued that the DP World Tour’s decision to deny conditional status to players who join LIV 2.0 is an attempt to interfere with the restructuring and raises anti‑competitive concerns. The judge, Michael B. Kaplan, acknowledged the concerns. On Wednesday, Kaplan approved LIV’s motion to reject the current contracts of 19 golfers, including Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and Bubba Watson, saying they do not match the compensation structure planned for LIV 2.0. The league also got approval for an amended restructuring support agreement, with BC Partners providing up to $300 million in financing, including a $4 million loan to keep operations running during the Chapter 11 process. Under the proposed equity split, golfers would own 52.5% of the league, BC Partners and minority investors 45%, and management 2.5%. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm’s attorney said the two‑time major champion will not be part of LIV 2.0, and players such as David Puig and Abraham Ancer are also leaving. Other golfers, including Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Harold Varner III, have asked to be released from their contracts. Attorneys for an ad hoc group of players, which includes DeChambeau, Johnson, Watson and Lee Westwood, appeared at the hearing for the first time.
