LIV Golf's 2027 Relaunch in Jeopardy: BC Partners Pulls $300 Million Bid, New Jersey Court Hearing Raises Liquidation Risk

LIV Golf's plan to relaunch its 2027 season has been thrown into jeopardy after private equity firm BC Partners withdrew its proposed $300 million investment in the league. The withdrawal, coupled with a New Jersey bankruptcy court hearing on Thursday where liquidation is a possibility, has raised serious doubts about the league's future, according to a GOLF.com report. This signals that after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) pulled its support in April, no rescue path remains for the league. BC Partners, during its due diligence, concluded that while LIV 2.0 may have a 'critical mass' of at least 30 players, the league lacks the 'star power' needed to be commercially viable. This prompted the firm to walk away from the $300 million deal. The report cites complex negotiations with high-profile players and limited time as reasons for the withdrawal. The league's troubles are not limited to investor flight. Two tournaments in the 2026 season have already been canceled, and the remaining events are being run on an improvised basis. After PIF withdrew financial support in April, the league went bankrupt and underwent mass layoffs. Now, the federal bankruptcy court hearing in New Jersey on Thursday is being seen as the start of liquidation. Unpaid creditors have sought information in court, indicating the league's balance sheet is insolvent, not merely facing a liquidity crunch. On the player front, the situation is even more alarming. The league's top stars—Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, David Puig, and Lucas Herbert—have withdrawn interest in the 2027 relaunch. Bryson DeChambeau expressed interest on a podcast but made no firm commitment. The simultaneous withdrawal of six prominent players is seen not as a coincidence but as a rapidly emerging collective strategy amid liquidation fears. Rahm's exit is the most significant, as he was the league's biggest contracted star, and his departure likely accelerated BC Partners' decision—though the report does not explicitly establish causality. League management had proposed a model offering player equity and a reduced schedule, but with the court process now underway, strategic control has shifted from the league to creditors and the court. The proposal now appears merely aspirational. The biggest question is whether LIV Golf will cease to exist entirely. Thursday's hearing will decide. In the event of liquidation, players will have to find new tours, and creditors will have to rely on the court for relief. However, there is also a possibility that a last-minute buyer could emerge in court to save the league in a limited form—but the odds are very low. One thing is clear: LIV Golf's 'star power' model has run out of steam, and the biggest lesson is that money alone is not everything in sports. (Note: This report is based on an article by GOLF.com, which claimed that LIV Golf's 2027 relaunch plan was dealt a blow after BC Partners withdrew its $300 million bid.)