The DP World Tour will refuse membership to golfers who sign up for LIV Golf 2.0 for the 2027 season, the tour’s chief executive, Guy Kinnings, confirmed on Monday.
Kinnings told BBC Sport that the circuit, unlike in recent seasons, will not grant conditional status to golfers who join LIV Golf 2.0. Golfers must apply for DP World Tour membership by 16 November.
“Players need to make a choice,” Kinnings said. “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.”
The policy has consequences for the Ryder Cup. Golfers must be DP World Tour members to compete for Europe in next year’s event, which is scheduled for 17-19 September at Adare Manor in Ireland.
A change from previous seasons
This season, the DP World Tour allowed some golfers to play on both tours, granting conditional status to more than 10 LIV golfers. That group included two-time major champion Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, David Puig and others.
Last week, Rahm’s attorney, John Beck, revealed during a bankruptcy hearing that the Spanish golfer will not be part of LIV 2.0. Beck said Rahm and LIV Golf were working to finalise a separation agreement by Thursday.
LIV Golf’s bankruptcy process
LIV Golf and its related entities voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 8 September. According to court records, the league reported between $100 million and $500 million in assets and between $500 million and $1 billion in liabilities.
On 5 October, LIV Golf filed a restructuring support agreement with the US Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey. The agreement indicated the league would receive a $300 million investment from BC Partners, provided certain conditions were met. BC Partners’ initial investment was $4 million.
One of those conditions is the “execution of New Player Agreements consistent with the LIV 2.0 business plan that include players required by BC Partners.” It is not yet clear which players, or how many, must sign up for LIV Golf 2.0 for the deal to proceed.
The agreement extended the deadline for current LIV golfers to commit to the league to 25 October. Sources say BC Partners could extend or waive that deadline.
LIV Golf is also seeking the bankruptcy court’s authority to terminate its existing player contracts. The court will discuss that request at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. LIV Golf argues the step is necessary to execute new LIV Golf 2.0 agreements and a proposed compensation and player ownership structure.
League and investor response
A source familiar with LIV Golf’s restructuring said, “Conversations with players regarding their participation in LIV Golf 2.0 remain fully on track, and the league continues to progress toward a transaction with BC Partners.”
BC Partners chief executive Ted Goldthorpe told the Sportico Invest Conference in London last week: “We’re super committed. As [LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil] said, we’re going to start hiring back employees and planning for next year’s events. All systems go.”
Goldthorpe added: “The next 22 days will be about signing up the players, and I feel very good about that. We’ve had a lot of constructive dialogue with them. We obviously have a deadline now, but that’s the next big step for us.”
Court records show that Sergio Garcia, a LIV Golf captain, has been released from his contract. Attorneys representing other golfers, including Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Cameron Tringale, Matthew Wolff and Marc Leishman, have also asked the court to clarify the status of their contracts with LIV Golf.