Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
LIV Golf is currently working through a bankruptcy proceeding as it eyes a reboot in an attempt to survive. However, as things currently stand, any tournament it hosts would consist of a single foursome, as it’s struggled to get players to commit to moving forward with a deadline for that decision just days away.
At this point, I assume most people who’ve kept tabs on LIV Golf are aware of the existential crisis it’s found itself facing since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund decided to cut its losses earlier this year after pouring more than $5 billion into a venture it didn’t have much to show for midway through its fifth season.
The league found itself scrambling to find new investors before striking a deal with BC Partners, which has tentatively agreed to provide a much-needed injection worth $300 million to mediate the start of LIV Golf 2.0.
However, that deal is contingent on a number of factors, the most pressing of which is an ongoing bankruptcy case that revolves around the specifics of the structural reorganization LIV Golf is relying on to stay afloat.
It sort of goes without saying that the reboot hinges on golfers agreeing to join the league, and there’s certainly an uphill battle being waged on that particular front based on how things currently stand.
Only four people have committed to stick with LIV Golf four days before the deadline for commitments
Earlier this month, LIV Golf lost one of its biggest names after Jon Rahm willingly surrendered a ton of guaranteed dough to get out of his contract, a decision he announced shortly after Sergio Garcia decided to go the same route.
On Wednesday, Louis Oosthuizen also announced his decision to opt out, and while it would be a stretch to suggest golfers are dropping like flies, they certainly aren’t swarming to join forces with the reimagined LIV.
As things currently stand, players have until October 25th to officially commit to playing, although it’s worth noting BC Partners has the authority to extend that deadline or waive it entirely.
There’s no telling how much is going to change in the coming days, but as Golf Digest‘s Joe Beall notes, a grand total of four guys have publicly announced their commitment: Cameron Tringale, Ben Campbell, Richard Bland, and Brendan Steele.
It’s not exactly a murderer’s row of golfers when you consider Steele is the only man on that list who secured a win on the PGA Tour (he had three victories before defecting, the most recent of which came in 2017), and the 53-year-old Bland currently boasts the highest Official World Golf Ranking of that quartet at…591.
There is obviously still time for other players to join them before Sunday rolls around, although it’s getting a bit hard to imagine it will be the “critical mass” LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said the league would need to keep going.
At this point, the biggest question mark is undoubtedly Bryson DeChambeau, who is reportedly “working diligently behind the scenes to bring LIV 2.0 to fruition.” However, he still hasn’t announced his decision, and a “No” would have major potential to be the final nail in the coffin.