LIV Golf facing point of no return as DP World Tour deals out death sentence

Tom BlowMon, October 12, 2026 at 1:22 PM UTC

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LIV Golf is in serious danger of collapsing -Credit:Getty Images (Getty Images)

LIV Golf is in serious danger of collapsing thanks to the DP World Tour's latest move.

LIV's future has been in doubt ever since Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund pulled its funding of the rebel league earlier this year. LIV has secured new, more modest funding through BC Partners, but it's still unclear whether the tour will proceed in 2027.

Two-time major champion Jon Rahm, who was one of LIV's biggest stars during its Saudi-funding era, has already decided to step away from LIV. There's a good chance more players will follow suit after the DP World Tour introduced a new ban.

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As reported by BBC Sport, players who sign up for LIV next season will not be allowed to compete on the DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour. The DP World Tour is urging players to "make a choice" between it and LIV.

Several LIV stars, such as Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk, who recently won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, currently compete in both LIV and DP World Tour events.

If the DP World Tour goes ahead and bans LIV players from competing in its events, players like Hatton and Meronk will have to choose which tour to pursue. And if they decide against the DP World Tour and join LIV, they will be ineligible for the Ryder Cup.

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The DP World Tour has taken action -Credit:Getty Images

Flushing It, the popular social media golf account, claims to have spoken with the majority of LIV stars about their next steps. The account believes the DP World Tour's latest move will be a "death blow" to LIV's future.

"Players need to make a choice," Guy Kinnings, the DP World Tour's CEO, told BBC Sport.

"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."

After launching in 2022, LIV persuaded some of golf's biggest stars — including Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson — to leave the PGA Tour and compete in its events, which boasted huge purses thanks to its Saudi investment.

The PIF's decision to pull funding left LIV scrambling around for a new primary investment partner heading into 2027. It also forced the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the hope of a restructuring, with the new project dubbed 'LIV 2.0.'

It's believed that LIV has secured $300 million of funding from BC Partners, should the so-called 'LIV 2.0' league go ahead in 2027. LIV is also offering league and team equity to players who sign up for next year.

Yet there's no guarantee players will join 'LIV 2.0.' Purses will be significantly smaller in 2027 after losing Saudi funding, while concerns about being unable to compete on the DP World Tour and Ryder Cup will likely deter players from the rebel league. LIV stars are already excluded from standalone PGA Tour events, including The Players Championship.

Richard Bland, a 53-year-old who has one DP World Tour win to his name, and 39-year-old Cameron Tringale are the only players to commit to 'LIV 2.0' at the time of writing. Neither of them has ever won on the PGA Tour, nor have they clinched a LIV title.

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Source: “AOL Sports”