LIV 2.0 gets about 15 tentative player commitments on deadline day

About 15 golfers have tentatively committed to LIV 2.0, the Financial Times reported Sunday, October 25, the day BC Partners set as its deadline for players to sign on. The players weren't named. The FT says that interest is enough for the private-equity firm to push for a formal deal in the coming days, with more commitments possible later this week.

FT reporter Sujeet Indap put it plainly on X: LIV 2.0 "lives for a few more days."

What is confirmed

BC Partners agreed to put $300 million into LIV for 2027 if the league lined up enough players. Only four have said publicly that they're in: Richard Bland, Cameron Tringale, Brendan Steele and Ben Campbell. More than a dozen, including Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, have said they're done with LIV. Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith haven't announced anything. Bankruptcy documents show LIV players are owed more than $400 million, according to Golfweek.

What is reported

Per the FT, as summarized by Golfweek, BC Partners wants 30 to 40 players to start and is likely to move its deadline to Friday, October 30. That is also the date the PIF, LIV's sole lender, has set for a LIV 2.0 deal before it starts winding the league down. The working plan is a 10-event 2027 schedule split between the U.S. and abroad, growing to 17 events, with players holding equity.

The holdouts have their own report. The Athletic said Sunday that Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Thomas Detry and more than 10 other LIV players want severance from the PIF on claims of more than $100 million, and none are expected to sign the BC Partners restructuring in its current form. "The decision to release potential claims against the PIF and join LIV 2.0 will be influenced largely by how the PIF manages the wind-up of LIV 1.0," David Cornwell, Johnson's lawyer, told The Athletic. The FT says some of those players could still join this week if their settlements get resolved.

What to watch

Friday, October 30 is the date that matters now. Watch for a formal BC Partners deal, the first names behind the 15 commitments, and whether DeChambeau or Smith picks a side. If the PIF starts the wind-down instead, expect more players to follow Hatton and the others to the DP World Tour.