LIV Golf attorney fumes at DP World Tour player ultimatum

The attorney representing LIV Golf in its bankruptcy protection case has accused the DP World Tour of "interfering" with the league's restructuring process.

The DP World Tour confirmed to BBC Sport on Monday that any player signing up to a LIV Golf 2.0 will be prohibited from holding membership in 2027. 

It marked a departure from how the European-based circuit has previously deal with LIV Golf players, with some top stars granted releases two play on both tours. 

But DP World Tour chief executive, Guy Kinnings, has warned that players now must make a choice. 

The decision was supported by Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who claimed before the DP World India Championship those at Wentworth HQ have a right to change their rules and regulations.

"We're continuing to monitor this situation very closely, and we're quite concerned by it, frankly," Rob Fitzgerald told judge Michael Kaplan. 

"We're reserving all rights and remedies and respect to these statements that are made.

"Frankly, the timing in particular strikes us as a clear attempt to interfere with our process, with our players, and potentially our reorganization writ large.

"And it also raises a lot of the same anti-competitive concerns that LIV has expressed previously regarding the way competing leagues have sought to box out and punish market participants—namely these players—from participating and LIV and really only LIV.

"Player freedom is the reason LIV Golf was created, and it's the foundation of LIV Golf 2.0. 

"It's unfortunate that another tour is taking an opposite view and pressuring our players with a false choice. 

"And again, we're reserving all rights in this respect."

Judge Kaplan replied by saying that Fitzgerald's comments "raise concerns". 

The DP World Tour declined to comment when approached by Front Office Sports. 

A spokesperson said they the tour had nothing to add beyond Kinnings' previous statement. 

Future of LIV Golf

Judge Kaplan also asked for an update on the future of LIV Golf 2.0. 

According to Fitzgerald, they will know by 25 October whether or not LIV will have the green light to continue or will toggle towards a winding-down process. 

"Once we have full clarity on LIV 2.0, the debtors will need to very shortly begin making payments to host sites, vendors and other parties, so that we can schedule and prepare for LIV 2.0 events that we anticipate will take place shortly following the emergence," he said. 

During Wednesday's hearing, 19 player contracts - including those of Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson - were rejected.

That does not mean they will leave LIV Golf, but are now free to discuss terms with other tours. 

Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia has also had his contract terminated. 

The Spaniard has not indicated whether he wants to continue with LIV beyond 2026 but it appears the 46-year-old is destined to return to the DP World Tour next season in a bid to make the European Ryder Cup team.

What did Rory McIlroy say?

Speaking ahead of the DP World India Championship, McIlroy said: The DP World Tour, are a members' organization, just as the PGA Tour is the members' organization. 

"Every year before you play your first event you sign up to abide by the rules and regulations of that members' organization. 

"So before I play -- the Australian Open is the start of next season, before I play the Australian Open I will sign a document that binds me to abide by the rules and regulation of the DP World Tour. 

"When I go and play my first event in America, I will sign a document which binds me to abide by the rules and regulations of the PGA Tour. 

"Everyone that plays on those tours does the exact same thing. This isn't new information. 

"Everyone does that every year. The leadership or the management of those membership organizations, they have the right to change and adapt the rules and regulations where they see fit to protect their business or their rights"

McIlroy argued that the DP World Tour has been "more than accommodating" to LIV players in the past.

"Yes, they've had to maybe do some things that have been conditional to their membership, like play a couple extra events this year, but I think this was always coming down the line. 

"I think the DP World Tour have made a good decision, because the golf landscape, I feel like it's been constantly changing for the last four, five years. 

"It's now got to the point where guys are going to have to make a decision and what's important to them and what they really want to do. 

"As I said, the DP World Tour are well within their rights to change the rules and regulations. 

"This is the way to protect their business and to make the tour as strong as possible."