Since the PIF withdrew its funding in April, LIV Golf’s financial troubles have been looming large. They finally came to a head earlier this week when the rebel league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New Jersey. The filing listed Cam Smith and Bryson DeChambeau, among others, as creditors who are owed $4.8 million and $5.77 million, respectively. Now, Wall Street Journal editor Sujeet Indap has revealed that the duo has lawyered up.
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According to court filings shared by Indap, the documents show that Bryson DeChambeau and his company, BAD Enterprises, Inc., are being represented by two law firms: Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (Matt Barr, David J. Cohen, Chase A. Bentley and Jason H. George) and Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch LLP (Paul R. DeFilippo, Joseph F. Paelli and Artem Volynsky) — a seven-attorney team, notably larger than the single lawyer representing Smith.
This came after Indap revealed that Cameron Smith lawyered up, with attorney Jason D. Angelo filing a Notice of Appearance and Request for Service of Notice on the Australian golfer’s behalf on September 9. While details about these two players seeking legal representation have just emerged, LIV Golf has listed several other players as creditors.
The creditor list reveals the scale of LIV’s financial obligations: Jon Rahm tops it at around $7.4–$7.5 million, followed by Dustin Johnson ($5.49–$5.5M), Adrian Meronk ($4.44M), Tyrrell Hatton ($3.4M), and Brooks Koepka ($1.7M), who left the league to join the PGA Tour. It’s also worth noting that these are just the players within the tour. Several other organizations and individuals are among the listed creditors in LIV Golf’s bankruptcy filings.
As the legal proceedings unfold, Saudi Arabia’s PIF is set to extend a nearly $50 million loan to LIV Golf to help with the process. Meanwhile, LIV Golf is using the bankruptcy process to pivot to what it calls ‘LIV 2.0.’ The league has lined up a London-based private-equity firm, BC Partners, to take over funding and relaunch it in 2027.
This legal representation positions Smith and DeChambeau as LIV negotiates with creditors and players and attempts to reshape the league for 2027.
In any case, the bankruptcy filing means the contracts of all LIV players are in limbo, so all players can leave the tour. Despite that, Bryson DeChambeau, whose contract ended with LIV in 2026, hasn’t indicated that he intends to leave LIV Golf amid LIV’s financial troubles. Similarly, Smith has not indicated he wants to exit LIV Golf, having previously turned down offers to return to the PGA Tour.
This, however, is not the first time DeChambeau has sought legal representation in a lawsuit involving his own tour. He was among the LIV Golf players who sued the PGA Tour for alleged antitrust violations in August 2022, arguing that the Tour used its monopoly power and anticompetitive tactics to punish players who joined LIV.
DeChambeau said he remained involved partly on “principle” and because he claimed the PGA Tour had withheld $1.75 million he was owed through the Player Impact Program. However, he withdrew from the lawsuit in May 2023, with his agent saying he wanted to focus on his playing career rather than the ongoing litigation.
On the PGA Tour side, Rory McIlroy expects some LIV Golf players to leave the breakaway league following its bankruptcy filing. That’s because the proposed LIV 2.0 is unlikely to offer the same financial appeal as the original version. McIlroy suggested that this could allow players to reconsider their contracts and pursue opportunities elsewhere, with the DP World Tour potentially benefiting most from an influx of LIV talent.
He believes the return of those players would strengthen tournament fields and make the European circuit more competitive, while also deepening its alliance with the PGA Tour. But only time will tell what the future holds for LIV Golf and its golfers.