[Photo: Octavio Passos]
Sergio Garcia is seeking official termination of his LIV Golf contract, according to new court filings.
Last month, LIV Golf’s bankruptcy plea included a restructuring that was likely to release LIV players from their existing contracts, allowing them to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Yesterday, Garcia’s lawyers and his LLC (Even Par) asserted they do not oppose this motion but do want clarification, as Garcia’s representation requests the court officially end the agreement or allow Garcia to end it. As currently constructed, Garcia argues, the deal is confusing.
“So long as the Agreement remains of record, tournament organisers, sponsors, and other counterparties may hesitate before dealing with Garcia, who may be unable to represent that they are free of competing contractual commitments,” Garcia’s lawyers argue. “That uncertainty is particularly acute for a professional athlete, whose tournament schedule, sponsorship arrangements, and participation in other events must be planned well in advance, and whose competitive career is necessarily finite.”
Garcia’s team later argued that “The Debtors have made clear their intention not to perform under the Agreement, which is an executory personal services contract that cannot be assumed absent Garcia’s consent”.
Golf Digest reported earlier this year that managers representing several LIV players had contacted the PGA Tour and DP World Tour to explore possible paths back, and the tour has been adamant that the exemption to Brooks Koepka to return no longer exists. Furthermore, the tour’s staff won’t even entertain conversations with players or their agents until they prove they are out of their LIV contracts. Agents and players are expecting a one-year suspension from tour-related activities at minimum, meaning they are hoping to understand where they can play in 2027.
Garcia has been with LIV Golf since its inception, and provided an indelible image weeks before leaving in 2022 when he was caught on camera stating “I can’t wait to leave this tour” after rules dispute at the Wells Fargo Championship. There was a report earlier this year that his outburst at the 2026 Masters – when he damaged a tee and broke his driver – was the impetus for Saudi Arabia pulling out of LIV (against the backdrop of Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan wanting an Augusta National membership), although PIF’s exit from LIV was already well in the works.
LIV Golf filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on September 8 while announcing a proposed restructuring agreement that could transfer majority ownership of the league to its players. Under the plan, London-based private-equity firm BC Partners would finance an attempted LIV return in 2027 through what the league described as a “recapitalisation transaction”. The plan requires court approval. BC Partners has ties to GSE Worldwide, the agency representing a sizeable portion of LIV’s roster. Questions remain about the nature of the firm’s commitment, including whether the financing is structured as a loan, dependent upon additional investors or contingent upon a number of players remaining with the league.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which started LIV Golf as a soft-power exercise, has raised flags since the fillings that BC Partners just wants LIV for tax write-off purposes and is not interested in running a golf league. LIV’s marquee stars Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau have not committed to the new league, while 2022 Open winner Cam Smith has expressed frustration at the lack of communication from LIV leadership about the future.
