LIV Golf, the breakaway tour that spent billions of dollars luring top players away from the PGA and triggered bitter divisions within the sport, filed Tuesday for bankruptcy protection.

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The filing at a New Jersey court indicates LIV, which abruptly lost its deep-pocketed Saudi investors earlier this year, intends to restructure and return in a new form.

Bankruptcy

But documents show LIV owes between $500 million and $1 billion in estimated liabilities to at least 1,000 creditors, including star players like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.

And the future of those popular players remains deeply unclear. The likes of DeChambeau are now faced with deciding whether to remain with the tour in its new guise, or leave and attempt to pursue the millions of dollars they are owed in court.

“This process gives us the structure and time to pursue a landmark transaction and begin the next chapter of LIV Golf,” said CEO Scott O’Neil, in a statement.

LIV still intends to return next year in a new form including “an innovative, player-first ownership model,” he said.

“No definitive decisions regarding the 2027 schedule or individual events are being announced at this time,” the LIV statement added.

The bankruptcy filing was widely expected, after LIV axed the majority of its staff earlier this month, and scrapped its season-ending team championship in August after losing the backing of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Since LIV’s launch in 2022, the Middle Eastern fund had poured an estimated $5 billion into the tour, before abruptly pulling the plug.

The PIF will now provide a loan worth nearly $50 million for the bankruptcy and reorganization process, the LIV statement showed.

LIV’s star players Rahm, DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson hold the largest unsecured claims against the tour, totaling more than $5 million each in immediate past-due payments, per the bankruptcy filing.

But even those amounts do not reflect the future remaining contract values of some golfers, that can range into tens of millions of dollars each, the Financial Times reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Tuesday’s statement said “the Company remains in advanced discussions with” players, including on “creating an ownership structure aligning players’ interests with the League’s long-term success.”

“Players will have the opportunity to share directly in the value they help create,” said O’Neil, in an open letter to fans.

LIV did not immediately respond to AFP request for comment on the matter.

‘LIV 2.0’

Tour officials have previously pledged that a “2.0” version of the tour will re-emerge under new investors next season, with a shorter schedule and reduced prize money.

Further details emerged for the proposals on Tuesday.

LIV intends to host tournaments across five continents, in locations including Australia, South Africa, Mexico, England, Hong Kong and the US.

“We intend to expand our fields to 75 players, introduce a cut, and create additional pathways for players to earn their way into LIV Golf, including Monday qualifiers,” it said.

The emphasis would remain on courting young fans, with live music, and team competitions which will “embrace national identities, building on the passion and momentum of World Cup-style competition.”

But much will depend on whether top stars including DeChambeau and Rahm remain.

Widespread reports have linked several LIV stars with potential returns to the PGA Tour and other series, though the PGA said it currently has no plans to offer LIV players a pathway back.

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka – who did return to the PGA this year – is still listed as a creditor owed $1.7 million on the LIV bankruptcy filing.

Tuesday’s filing confirmed LIV has partnered for the restructuring effort with British investment group BC Partners – long rumored to be the tour’s mystery new “lead investor.”

LIV Golf is also seeking recognition of the US bankruptcy filing in England and Wales to cover its global assets, which total $100-$500 million.

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Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a sharp rebuke over Indore's traffic management, the Madhya Pradesh High Court's Indore Bench observed that motorists were violating traffic rules even outside the court, raising questions over enforcement on city roads.

Hearing a petition on the city's traffic problems, a Division Bench comprising Justice Sandeep Bhatt and Justice Gajendra Singh expressed dissatisfaction with the administration's progress, noting that the ground situation remained unchanged despite claims of extensive enforcement.

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Responding to the court's directive seeking details of traffic infrastructure, the state submitted an affidavit stating that 660 CCTV cameras were operational at city intersections, besides deployment of traffic personnel.

Counsel for petitioner Mahesh Garg, Manish Yadav and Anas Makrani disputed the claims, arguing that traffic jams and violations remained routine.

They alleged that the administration was largely focused on drink-driving fines while overall traffic management remained poor.

HC Questions Illegal Number Plates, Sirens

The High Court questioned how vehicles with missing or illegal number plates and unauthorised hooters and sirens continued to ply on city roads.

The bench also observed that routine challans were failing to act as a deterrent and said effective measures were needed if traffic jams and violations continued despite enforcement.

Heavy Vehicles Under Scanner

The petitioners also raised the issue of heavy commercial vehicles entering city limits during the day, citing Supreme Court directives restricting their daytime entry in major cities.

The High Court sought the administration's response on its policy governing the entry of heavy vehicles. The State Government sought more time to file a detailed reply.

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