LIV Golf Bankruptcy Filing Reveals Millions Owed to Global Players
Synopsis
LIV Golf filed for bankruptcy protection with liabilities reaching $1 billion, while players are owed millions and PIF provides $49.6 million to support restructuring.
LIV Golf bankruptcy proceedings commenced in New Jersey on September 8, after Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) moved to stop its funding of the league after the 2026 season.
The bankruptcy filing of LIV Golf estimates that the company's liabilities range from $500 million to $1 billion while its assets range from $100 million to $500 million. PIF has agreed to fund the bankruptcy of $49.6 million subject to court's approval.
Player Claims Put Millions in Focus
The LIV Golf bankruptcy filing lists the 30 largest unsecured creditors, including 14 players. Among them are Jon Rahm ($7.5 million), Bryson DeChambeau ($5.7 million) and Dustin Johnson ($5.5 million) and Australia's Cameron Smith ($4.8 million).
Other players on the list include Adrian Meronk (Poland) $4.4 million, Tyrrell Hatton (England) $3.4 million, Abraham Ancer (Mexico) $2.7 million and Ben An (South Korea) $1.8 million.
Other well-known players include Chilean Joaquin Niemann, worth $1.3 million, and Australian Lucas Herbert, valued at approximately $1 million. Unsecured claims are valued at more than $64.2 million in the 30 largest, but the list does not include all the claims related to players' contracts.
Earlier Accounts Show Heavy Financial Losses
The bankruptcy proceedings come as LIV Golf Ltd, which runs the league outside the U.S., has suffered huge losses.
Its latest submitted its annual returns, which showed revenue of $64.9 million, costs in the region of $526.7 million and a net loss of $461.8 million for the year to December 2024 (submitted in October 2025 to Companies House). As of late, the losses amounted to over $1.1 billion since inception.
After its launch in 2022, the wider LIV operation has generated over $5 billion via PIF. The bankruptcy petition states that PIF is the 100% equity owner of LIV Golf.
According to the 2026 Golf Participation Report by the National Golf Foundation, a total of 48.1 million Americans (6 years old and older) played golf in 2025, both on and off the course. The total U.S. golf market was up 2% from 2024 and 41% higher than 2019, indicating that it remained robust as LIV embarked on restructuring.
The LIV Golf bankruptcy is not a liquidation, but a restructuring. LIV is in talks with BBTCo to emerge from Chapter 11 early next year.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
