LIV Golf in Trouble? What Happens to Its Star Players
LIV Golf is facing its biggest test since its launch after the breakaway league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States. The move has raised questions about what happens next to its biggest names, including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson.
The league filed for bankruptcy protection in New Jersey on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, as part of a restructuring process. LIV said it intends to continue operating while it works towards a new model, rather than shutting down immediately. Reuters reported that the league listed assets of between $100 million and $500 million against liabilities estimated at between $500 million and $1 billion.
But the financial problems have also placed the futures of LIV’s players under the spotlight.
Why is LIV Golf in trouble?
LIV Golf was launched in 2022 with major financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Its arrival changed professional golf by offering shorter team-based tournaments and huge contracts to attract established stars from the PGA Tour.
However, the league’s financial model has now been forced into a major rethink. The Saudi fund confirmed in April that it was withdrawing its long-term backing after the 2026 season, having ploughed more than $5 billion into the league since its launch, while LIV is seeking new investment to create a restructured version of the competition.
The proposed new structure, being developed with BC Partners, is expected to be smaller and different from the league that attracted players with massive guarantees.
That creates a difficult question for golfers who originally joined LIV because of those financial guarantees: do they remain with the restructured league or explore other options?
What happens to LIV Golf players?
The bankruptcy filing has created uncertainty around existing player contracts, though it does not automatically cancel them. LIV owes at least $45 million to 14 current and former players, according to court records. Among the largest claims are those involving Rahm, who is listed as being owed about $7.5 million, DeChambeau at about $5.7 million and Johnson at about $5.5 million. Cameron Smith and Tyrrell Hatton are also among the league’s largest unsecured creditors.
The restructuring process could change the terms under which some players compete, and it is now down to the bankruptcy court to work through how those claims and contracts are treated.
LIV is reportedly negotiating with its golfers over their futures, while the proposed new version of the league would give players an opportunity to decide whether they want to continue.
That does not mean all the stars will leave.
Rahm, for instance, has said he remains willing to fulfil his LIV contract, while DeChambeau has not ruled out continuing with the league. Their decisions could become clearer as the restructuring process develops.
Could LIV stars return to the PGA Tour?
A return to the PGA Tour is possible for some players, but it is not necessarily straightforward.
The PGA Tour introduced a Returning Member Program in January 2026, creating a route for certain former members who had competed in unauthorised tournaments to return under strict conditions. The programme included financial penalties and performance-based eligibility requirements.
Brooks Koepka became the first major LIV-era player to use that route after leaving LIV.
Other players could therefore face individual decisions about how they regain access to the PGA Tour if they leave the breakaway league.
The DP World Tour could benefit
The DP World Tour could become another destination for players leaving LIV.
Rory McIlroy believes some LIV golfers will eventually depart because the restructured league may not offer the same financial attraction as its original version. He also said the return of LIV players could make the DP World Tour more competitive.
The route back, however, will depend on each player’s eligibility and the rules of the relevant tour.
There is already an example of how that can work. Patrick Reed announced earlier in 2026 that he intended to return to the PGA Tour for the 2027 season after competing on the DP World Tour. The PGA Tour said his route back would depend on his existing status and performance on the European circuit.
What next for LIV Golf’s stars?
The immediate future is therefore less about whether LIV Golf disappears and more about what its restructured version becomes.
LIV is seeking to continue beyond the bankruptcy process, with new investment from BC Partners and a proposed ownership structure that would make players majority owners. At the same time, its biggest names must weigh the financial terms, competitive opportunities and routes available elsewhere.
For players such as Rahm and DeChambeau, the decision could shape the next stage of their careers.
For the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, the possibility of several LIV stars returning could also force them to decide how much of professional golf’s recent divide they are prepared to leave in the past.
LIV Golf is not officially gone. But its bankruptcy has changed the terms of the battle, and its star players are now at the centre of what happens next.