When players left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, each had their own motivation. Some were promised more money, some a lighter schedule, and others simply wanted to try something new. Four years later, the question has only changed shape. What is LIV 2.0 offering players this time? Many of the league’s biggest names have already answered by walking away, and Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner thinks that says a lot about the players who are left.

Speaking to Gary Williams on the Five Club podcast, Ryan Lavner questioned the competitive standing of those signing up for LIV 2.0.

“But I think anyone who is signing up at this point is largely unserious competitively and, quite frankly, has very few options elsewhere to play. You’re seeing a mass defection of players because the DP World Tour’s player deadline is approaching as well,” Lavner said on the show.

His comments came a day after the Financial Times reported that around 15 golfers had tentatively committed to LIV 2.0, without naming any of them. That number looks small compared with the 30 to 40 commitments the new owners were reportedly hoping for to launch a 17-event global schedule. The October 25 deadline has also reportedly been subject to a possible extension by BC Partners to October 30.

While the full list of players remains unknown, a few names are public so far. Richard Bland, Cameron Tringale, Brandon Steele, and Ben Campbell have all publicly committed. But the marquee players are already gone. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have said they won’t be part of it, taking much of Legion XIII with them. That leaves a real question about who the other players are and what they stand to gain from signing up for LIV 2.0.

Lavner’s comments also point to how the balance of leverage may have shifted. When LIV launched in 2022, it pitched “Golf, But Louder,” offering 54-hole team events, shotgun starts, bigger prize purses, and a flexible schedule. It was a lucrative option, and some players benefited enormously. Dustin Johnson, for example, made $35.6 million across the first season’s eight events, while Rahm’s deal was reportedly worth more than $300 million.

And as Laver puts it, “But competitively, Gary, it’s basically dead on arrival,” he said. “It may be stamped with LIV 2.0 branding, but for all intents and purposes, it is nothing like the product that was initially launched in 2022 to serve as a chief rival to the PGA Tour.”

That leaves players weighing their options against a ticking clock. The DP World Tour’s membership deadline is November 16, and the tour has said it will not grant conditional membership for 2027 to players joining LIV 2.0. Those hoping to return to the established circuit must therefore make a decision soon.

The PGA Tour route is no easier. Reports suggest LIV players could face a one-year wait from their last LIV appearance before returning, while the PGA Tour has not indicated that it is ready to open its doors to them. Those seeking to return would still need to earn their cards through the regular route.

With both established tours presenting their own hurdles, some players may see LIV 2.0 as their best available option, even if it no longer offers the same appeal.

The question now is whether the players still considering LIV 2.0 believe the new circuit offers a better path forward or whether they are running out of options elsewhere.