The deadline is set. LIV Golf has until October 25 to finalize its roster and secure its future for the 2027 season. However, with several high-profile names continuing to exit the breakaway league, questions are mounting over whether it can retain enough players to meet the demands of its new lead investors, BC Partners. Despite the uncertainty surrounding LIV Golf’s future, LPGA CEO Craig Kessler hasn’t given up on the rebel league just yet.
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“It’s a really interesting question,” Kessler told David Rumsey of Front Office Sports. “Look, I have the same information you and everyone else in this room does. I’m reading what you’re reading. It sounds like there may be the prospect of an upcoming season. It sounds like the field may look very different from what it has, but I wouldn’t count them out just yet.”
LIV Golf might not be dead just yet, but its future is looking increasingly uncertain. After Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) pulled its funding, the breakaway league was forced to file for bankruptcy in September. That was when London-based BC Partners emerged as its potential savior, pledging to inject $300 million into the league to keep it afloat. However, the investment came with a significant condition.
The league must retain enough players to make the deal work. But the departures have already begun. Jon Rahm has exited the league, as has Sergio Garcia, who approached the bankruptcy court to secure a ruling on his contract. Since then, David Puig, Thomas Pieters, and Charles Howell III have also decided to cut ties with LIV Golf.
To make matters worse, a bankruptcy court judge has approved the league’s request to reject the existing contracts of 19 players. The list includes Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, and Bubba Watson. However, they remain free to re-sign with the league under new deals. Meanwhile, the DP World Tour has thrown another obstacle in LIV Golf’s path.
It recently announced that players who sign up for LIV 2.0 in 2027 will be barred from competing on the DP World Tour, reversing its decision to allow LIV players to compete during the 2026 season. The move could force players to choose between the two tours, with the DP World Tour potentially emerging as the more attractive option.
In response, LIV Golf’s attorney described the decision as an “attempt to interfere” with the league’s restructuring. The attorney also told the judge that the court would know by the end of October whether LIV Golf would have a 2027 season.
That said, several players have already reaffirmed their commitment to LIV Golf, including Cameron Tringale, Richard Bland, and Ben Campbell. If the league survives, LIV Golf 2.0 is expected to undergo changes. The field could expand from 57 to 75 players, while a new cut system would mark a departure from its signature no-cut format. The schedule would also shrink from 14 events to just 10.
Finally, the financial incentives are set to take a substantial hit. Prize purses, which previously reached $30 million per event, are expected to fall to an estimated $10 million to $15 million. In any case, Kessler’s comment comes after the LPGA signed a $4M investment from Golf Saudi.
Golf Saudi’s $4 million investment, which has brought LPGA and the LET together
In September, reports confirmed that Golf Saudi is investing $4 million in women’s golf, bringing the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour (LET) together for The Championship in 2027. The UK-based event will be co-sanctioned by both tours for the first time, with the multi-year commitment making it among the richest tournaments in women’s professional golf.
Scheduled for July 19-25, 2027, the tournament will occupy a prime spot in the European summer schedule. The move marks a shift in Golf Saudi’s strategy as the PIF Global Series concludes at the end of the 2026 season. Alongside its investment in The Championship, Golf Saudi has also agreed to a multi-year partnership with the LET Order of Merit, supporting players throughout the season rather than at individual events.
The broader plan includes expanding grassroots participation in Saudi Arabia. Golf Saudi aims to increase registered golfers from around 4,500 to more than 30,000 within five years, with women and girls accounting for a significant part of its development efforts.
That said, as the LPGA looks ahead to its partnership with the LET, there may still be some hope for LIV Golf to survive into next year. However, only time will tell whether the embattled league can pull it off.