Lee Westwood issues blunt LIV Golf verdict as bankruptcy creates fresh uncertainty

Lee Westwood has admitted LIV Golf's bankruptcy filing is "bad for a lot of people" while revealing he remains undecided over whether he will continue with the breakaway circuit.

The 53-year-old Englishman claims he still enjoys playing on LIV Golf but is not yet ready to commit to its proposed new era, with Westwood planning to assess LIV 2.0 before deciding where his career will take him beyond 2026.

However, even if Westwood opts to remain with LIV, his preferred option of combining the circuit with appearances on the DP World Tour could prove difficult.

The Athletic reported last month that it is "highly unlikely" the DP World Tour will grant LIV players conditional releases in 2027 and beyond. 

The agreements with Wentworth HQ have allowed a number of LIV players to compete on both circuits this season, but the existing releases are specifically limited to 2026. 

That creates another headache for players considering their options, particularly those who would like to retain access to the DP World Tour while continuing with a restructured LIV Golf. 

Lee Westwood weighing up options before making decision

Westwood, meanwhile, has now paid off his DP World Tour fines and is eligible to compete on the circuit as well as the seniors Legends Tour. 

Speaking to talkSPORT, Westwood said: “I enjoy playing on LIV. It’s a breath of fresh air and, yes, we’re being kept informed on LIV 2.0, the new partner coming in. And I guess they’re just working on that at the moment and that’s all that I know really.

“I think everybody understands that there were mistakes made with the first one.

“The new partner is coming in to make it a sustainable tour and a sustainable operation so that’s very good but, obviously, whenever bankruptcy is mentioned, that’s never a good idea. It’s bad for a lot of people.”

LIV files for bankruptcy protection

LIV Golf filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States on Tuesday as part of a major restructuring.

BC Partners has emerged as a new investor in LIV 2.0 after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) withdrew its backing for LIV 1.0 in April.

PIF has agreed to provide $49.6 million in debtor-in-possession financing to support LIV during the restructuring.

LIV 2.0, should it go ahead, is expected to be majority-owned by players, with the new operation likely to tee off in February 2027.

The plan is for 10 events, 75-player fields and reduced prize purses, albeit amounts still higher than regular DP World Tour events. 

The restructuring of the league is going to give LIV's current players a major decision over their futures.

BBC Sport understands there is no obligation for players to sign up for LIV 2.0, regardless of whether they previously agreed multi-year contracts with LIV 1.0. 

Sources told the broadcaster that existing contracts are expected to conclude through the court process, with amounts owed to players and other creditors addressed as part of the restructuring.

That means players could have the freedom to pursue other opportunities — although for those hoping to combine LIV Golf with the DP World Tour, the situation remains complicated.

Jon Rahm said to have already left LIV group chat

Flushing It confirmed just hours after Tuesday's bankruptcy announcement that the league's best player Jon Rahm apparently left LIV's group chat on August 9, two weeks before the final tournament of the season in Indiana. 

Multiple reports have surfaced that Rahm is set to leave LIV Golf, and that others including his Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton are likely to follow him too. 

Westwood believes some players will stay with LIV while others will move on.

“I think some will (stay) and some won’t,” the former World No.1 told talkSPORT. 

“We’re obviously all independent contractors and everybody’s got different options at different times in their careers, stuff like that. But my plan is to have a good look at LIV 2.0 and make a decision after that.

“I enjoy playing on LIV so, if it continued the team aspect and 10 tournaments a year, which is great for me as I’ve got older, I’m 53 now, and mixing it up with playing on possibly the DP World Tour and the Legends Tour.”

For now at least, Westwood is making the most of his return to his former European Tour, a circuit he has won on 25 times before, which puts him eighth in the all-time winners list. 

Westwood, alongside his Majesticks GC teammate Ian Poulter, have both received invites to compete in next month's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie. 

PGA Tour superstar Rory McIlroy recently questioned exactly what value LIV players have brought to the league, something that did not sit particularly well with Westwood during a recent interview with TNT Sports (watch below). 

For Westwood, the attraction of LIV remains clear, particularly its team format and proposed 10-event schedule. 

But he is also aware his ideal scenario — combining LIV with the DP World Tour and Legends Tour — may not be entirely within his control.

His position, for now, is therefore one of wait and see. Westwood is not turning his back on LIV, but neither is he committing himself to its next chapter until he knows exactly what LIV 2.0 will look like.