Lee Westwood ended Tiger Woods’ five-year reign at No. 1 in the world rankings in 2010. Sixteen years later, the 44-time winner can’t say which tour he will play in 2027. That says more about LIV Golf’s collapse than any bankruptcy filing.
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According to NUCLR GOLF, Westwood was blunt about it on The Chipping Forecast podcast: “I haven’t signed 2.0. I haven’t signed anything. This RSA everybody talks about, I haven’t signed that. So literally, I’m unemployed…”
He has made no decision about the DP World Tour either, and a November 12 deadline is coming.
Westwood’s complaint is specific. “There’s nothing been presented to me that was agreeable for LIV 2.0. There’s still a lot of things on that that would need fine-tuning. Deadlines have come and gone, and I’ve heard nothing, whether I have to sign or I don’t have to sign.”
Money is the main reason players are holding back. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund stopped funding LIV Golf, and the league filed for bankruptcy in September. BC Partners has offered up to $300 million to support a new version of the league. It is expected to have at least 10 events, half the prize money of previous seasons, and 52.5% player ownership.
However, BC Partners reportedly wants 30 to 40 players to join before making a full commitment. According to the Financial Times, around 15 players had shown interest. Only five players have publicly committed so far, and none of them has won a major championship. They include 53-year-old Richard Bland. The PIF’s October 30 deadline has also passed, but no decision has been announced as of November 2.
Westwood resigned his DP World Tour membership shortly after joining LIV. By his own account, rejoining would mean a 10-tournament suspension that runs through the South African Open. He puts his first possible start around the first week of May in Turkey.
The DP World Tour has also taken a stricter stand. On October 12, CEO Guy Kinnings said the Tour would no longer give LIV players special permission to play in its events in 2027. He also told them, “Players need to make a choice.” This could mean players can no longer compete on both tours as they did before.
Westwood already has a rough plan for next year. He intends to enter the Sunningdale Foursomes in March with his son, Sam, and may play the PGA Senior Championship the week after the Masters.
Westwood’s story has always been about being close. In 2010, he led the Masters by one shot going into the final day before Phil Mickelson overtook him. He was then runner-up at the Open at St Andrews to Louis Oosthuizen. He tied for second at Augusta again in 2016.
He never won a major, and he holds the record for most majors played without a win, passing Jay Haas at the 2021 Open in his 88th. His nine top-three finishes are a record for someone who never won one. In my view, that near-miss résumé is why his current limbo stings.
LIV was supposed to be the soft landing. Lee Westwood co-captained Majesticks GC with Ian Poulter, and he avoided relegation in 2025 as the No. 46 player in the standings. Now Poulter has confirmed he’s out, and Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have also left.
The hard part is that Westwood’s situation is not unusual. LIV’s biggest names have already made their choices, and his silence suggests he is waiting to see what is left to sign. If LIV 2.0 survives, it will be smaller, player-owned, and cheaper. If it doesn’t, golf will have to work out where a 53-year-old with 44 wins fits.
Neither the Sunningdale Foursomes nor the Senior event is confirmed. After spending most of his career competing for the biggest titles, he may spend 2027 deciding what he wants from golf.