LIV Golf Secures $300 Million USD Funding Commitment to Save the 2027 Season

LIV Golf has secured vital breathing room as it plans for the 2027 season. The golf league built with heavy backing from Saudi Arabia has obtained potential financing worth up to 300 million US Dollars from BC Partners Credit.

Prior to this, LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States last September, after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) withdrew its multi-billion dollar funding support. This legal process grants LIV time to restructure its financial liabilities while developing a new operating model to resume competitions in 2027.

The 300 million dollar funding commitment marks a critical development while LIV remains under court-supervised restructuring. At this stage, it is still unconfirmed how much of this capital will be allocated to run the upcoming season schedule, and which professional golfers will remain with the league.

Player status remains a core determining factor. Golfers contracted to LIV are owed a minimum of 45 million US Dollars in outstanding payments, and all retain the full right to exit the league.

That said, the agreement with BC Partners Credit has extended the official player negotiation window until 25 October. This means LIV still has allocated time to finalise its revised competition format and confirm which athletes will commit to the proposed LIV 2.0 relaunch.

As reported by BBC Sport, no player is under any obligation to sign a new contract for LIV 2.0. This rule applies even to athletes who previously held long-term multi-year contracts with the original LIV Golf organisation.

This new financing arrangement is being characterised as a major breakthrough in the restructuring process. Ted Goldthorpe, Partner and Head of BC Partners Credit, framed the funding as a pathway to pull LIV out of crisis on a stable, sustainable financial foundation.

"Our objective is to support LIV Golf through this restructuring process, so it can emerge with healthy finances and fresh momentum ahead of the 2027 season," Goldthorpe stated in an official release.

The planned revamped LIV operating model will differ significantly from its original structure. BC Partners Credit confirmed this funding will enable a new phase where players will be eligible to hold equity stakes both in the central league and their individual competing teams.

"This investment represents a defining milestone for LIV Golf," LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil said in a public statement.

O'Neil acknowledged that substantial outstanding work remains, but framed this financing as confirmation the relaunched league project is now progressing towards a player and team-centric operating structure.

"We have cleared several critical hurdles. While there is still work left to finalise, today marks meaningful progress towards building a player-owned, team-focused, truly global league that complements the wider golf ecosystem, and creates new opportunities for players, fans, commercial partners, and the next generation of professional golfers," he added.

LIV's financial liabilities are substantial. Since the league launched in 2021, Saudi Arabia's PIF is estimated to have invested over 5 billion US Dollars into the venture.

This unprecedented level of funding successfully lured multiple top ranked star players away from the established PGA Tour.

Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau were two of the highest profile recruits, who joined LIV in exchange for record breaking contract values and prize money payouts.

However recent developments have exposed the fragility of this operating model. The 2026 LIV season was terminated early, while the bankruptcy filings have publicly revealed the full list of LIV's outstanding debts to creditors.

Jon Rahm is listed as the largest unsecured creditor among the league's top 30 claimants, with outstanding owed funds totalling 7.5 million US Dollars.

Bryson DeChambeau holds an unpaid claim of 5.7 million USD, followed by Dustin Johnson at 5.5 million USD, Cameron Smith at 4.8 million USD, and Tyrrell Hatton at 3.4 million USD.

Brooks Koepka, who departed LIV to return to the PGA Tour in January this year, also appears on the creditor list with an unsecured claim worth 1.7 million US Dollars.

In total, 14 current and former LIV players listed within the top 30 creditor ranks account for just over 45 million US Dollars in combined outstanding claims.

This figure does not represent the full total of monies owed to players. A source familiar with the proceedings confirmed this listing only reflects unpaid amounts accrued during the third quarter of 2026.

Under United States Chapter 11 bankruptcy regulations, a company's debt obligations to creditors may be temporarily frozen, allowing the organisation time to restructure liabilities or sell off selected assets.

PIF has also extended a separate 49.6 million US Dollar debtor-in-possession loan to cover operational costs during the restructuring process.

Subject to final court approval and fulfilment of closing conditions, this 300 million USD financing package dramatically improves LIV's chances of successfully relaunching the league.

Nevertheless, the single largest challenge remains at the negotiation table: convincing professional golfers to commit to joining the new restructured version of LIV Golf.