Dustin Johnson Leads LIV Golf Players Seeking PIF Settlements

More than 10 LIV Golf players led by two-time major champion Dustin Johnson are seeking compensation for unpaid contracts from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which financed the breakaway golf league before withdrawing its support in April. The group is pursuing settlements totaling more than $100 million as players weigh their futures with the restructured league.

The group includes two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and Thomas Detry. According to a source familiar with the players' position, none of the golfers represented by Johnson's group is expected to sign the current restructuring agreement between LIV and its new investor, BC Partners Credit.

The group's emergence comes ahead of Sunday's deadline for players to commit to LIV's proposed second iteration, known as LIV 2.0. BC Partners Credit retains the authority to extend that deadline, according to the report.

David Cornwell, Johnson's longtime attorney and former general manager of Johnson's 4 Aces team, represents the players. Their effort overlaps with a separate group of golfers involved in LIV's ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, led by Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau is not participating in Johnson and Cornwell's settlement initiative.

Cornwell said the players accepted LIV's recruitment offers in reliance on assurances from the PIF and now want compensation as the original operation winds down.

"Given their reliance on these promises, our group seeks a sensible severance payment as part of the wind-up of LIV," Cornwell said in a statement to The Athletic. "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."

Cornwell said the players made significant professional decisions based on repeated commitments from the sovereign wealth fund. He believes uncertainty over outstanding payments is making golfers reluctant to commit to LIV for the 2027 season.

Several other prominent players have also announced that they will not compete in LIV 2.0, including Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin and Ian Poulter. Jon Rahm announced his departure from the league earlier this month. Johnson declined to comment through his agent.

The PIF's position differs from the players' account of their financial relationship. According to a source briefed on the fund's thinking, the PIF considers itself an equity investor that has stopped putting money into LIV and is not participating in discussions with players or their lawyers.

A separate source familiar with the negotiations said the PIF initially offered players settlements worth 2 cents for every dollar owed under their unpaid contracts.

Cornwell also urged professional sports organizations to examine how the fund handled its withdrawal from LIV.

"The PIF was an honorable business partner until what we regard as its abandonment of LIV golfers," Cornwell said. "Professional sports leagues and their player unions in the United States, along with sports organizations worldwide, should take notice: the PIF's treatment of LIV golfers may signal how it will treat professional athletes in other sports. How you do one thing is usually how you do everything."

LIV expects the settlement process to proceed through the court system. Players account for seven of the league's top seven unsecured creditors and 14 of its top 30 unsecured creditors, according to the report. LIV declined to comment.

The league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. In the weeks before the filing, LIV paid executives more than $15.6 million in retention bonuses, including $6.375 million to chief executive Scott O'Neil.

LIV has not been expected to announce player commitments individually as it works with BC Partners to secure participation for the 2027 season. The proposed LIV 2.0 schedule is expected to feature 10 events, with five in the United States and five in other countries.