Which players are leaving LIV Golf? And who is sticking around for the league’s 2.0 era? This is everything you need to know…

The deadline for LIV Golf players to decide whether they will stick or twist is almost here.

The league has until October 25 to convince key names to sign up for the new iteration of the league ahead of a possible $300 million investment from credit firm BC Partners.

And it is crucial that the league persuades some big hitters to stay for its relaunch. But the DP World Tour’s move to reject memberships for players who hope to sign up to LIV 2.0 has made LIV’s prospects a whole lot more difficult.

So, what do we know so far?

Wants to stay

So far, these are the players who have said they will be staying should LIV 2.0 come to fruition…

Richard Bland
Englishman Bland was the first player to commit to LIV 2.0. The Cleeks star told Flushing It: “Apart from the Legends Tour, I have nowhere else to play. I’m banned until next August on the PGA Tour Champions, and I don’t have the desire to go back to the DP World Tour and start from the bottom again. I’m too old for that. I’m 54 next year and I’m done chasing after the game and trying to work my way up the ladder. I’ve done that for 25 years. The last few years on LIV have been absolutely brilliant and if LIV doesn’t come off, I’ll play the senior majors.”

Cameron Tringale
Another player who has told Flushing It he will stay is Tringale. The 39-year-old American, whose only victory in nearly 20 years as a pro was the 2014 Franklin Templeton Shootout, has earned north of $18 million in his five years on the league.  

Brendan Steele
Tringale’s HyFlyers teammate said in August: “I’m committed to being here. This is where I want to be. This has been home to me for the last four years, it’s been great. I’m happy to stay.”

Victor Perez
“As of today, I play for the Cleeks,” the Frenchman told Golf Planete in September. “I hope the situation gets resolved, and I hope there’s a future for LIV 2.0 because they have been some really great tournaments. There are people there who genuinely gave me my smile back and helped me rediscover the enjoyment I had maybe lost a little during my second year in the United States.” Perez added: “Playing fewer tournaments gave me a lot more mental clarity and allowed me to really appreciate the opportunity we have – to be here, to travel the world and play golf. I think that if LIV hadn’t existed, I might not have found that again. So naturally, I hope it continues.”

Ben Campbell
The New Zealander, who played on Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats team last year, has told TG he definitely wants to return to LIV next year as he recovers from hip surgery.

Definitely gone

These are the players who are 100 percent out the door and not coming back…

Jon Rahm
The two-time major champion has had one foot out the door for months, but his exit was confirmed via a bankruptcy hearing in New Jersey. Rahm’s lawyer said he deemed the conditions for a LIV 2.0 contract “unacceptable.” Three individual titles and over $100 million in prize money alone, Rahm’s years on LIV were nothing if not lucrative.

Louis Oosthuizen
The 2010 Open champion and Southern Guards captain was speaking at the Link Hong Kong Open when he declared himself out. “It’s time to move on,” Oosthuizen said. “It’s a lot of international travel for single events.”

David Puig
“I don’t see myself playing in the LIV 2.0,” Puig said at the Open de Espana. “It’s a decision I’ve made. I hope to play the European Tour next year, which I really enjoy, with a fuller schedule.”

Abraham Ancer

As first reported by Sports Business Journal‘s Josh Carpenter, the Mexican, who won close to $34 million in prize money on the league, will depart.

Going

These are the players who appear to have signaled their exit plans…

Sergio Garcia
Garcia has not officially stated he wants out. But if he wants to play on the DP World Tour, and indeed the European Ryder Cup team, like he says he does, he will have to be. He has exited his original 1.0 contract and now seems destined to refuse terms for the second iteration as he plots more regular starts in Europe. 

Thomas Pieters
The Belgian, who won just shy of $25m in four years on LIV, told TG in July that he has “no ego” and will go back to DP World Tour Q School if he has to. And it seems like he will take up the Wentworth-based circuit’s recent offer, according to Flushing It.

Adrian Meronk
According to Polish reporter Jacek Person, Meronk does not intend to play on LIV next season. That decision was perhaps made easier by the fact Meronk wrapped up his DP World Tour card for 2027 with a win at the Dunhill Links Championship.

Charles Howell III
Another scoop for SBJ, with Josh Carpenter saying he’s spoken to people close to the American who has apparently decided to not sign up for LIV 2.0 and instead pursue a year on the DP World Tour. Chucky Three Sticks becomes the first person to leave Crushers GC since the team was formed in the league’s very first season.

Tom McKibbin and Laurie Canter
While neither players has spoken publicly, both appeared at the DP World India Championship wearing clothing and carrying bags that had no LIV Golf branding.

Sam Horsfield, Josele Ballester, Luis Masaveu, Michael La Sasso and Yosuke Asaji

This quintet signed up to the Second Stage of DP World Tour Q School. If they go all the way and secure membership, they will not be able to accept unless they quit LIV 2.0. So it’s fair to say they each have one foot out of the door.

Undecided

The big name that LIV 2.0 is likely to hinge on is Bryson DeChambeau. The two-time US Open champion has been tight-lipped ever since teasing that something “fun” was coming after the league’s abrupt season finale in Indianapolis in August. DeChambeau has been seeking out possible starts on the DP World Tour, but would not be able to take up membership if he joins LIV. The PGA Tour is also unlikely to be bring back the program that enabled Brooks Koepka to return, so DeChambeau’s options have narrowed. Of course, DeChambeau could still choose to be the face of LIV 2.0 – though that would hinder his chances of a PGA Tour return in 2028 – or decide to focus on YouTube instead.

Joaquin Niemann, meanwhile, is the other significant player yet to declare his next move. The Chilean has admitted he is still considering whether to take up equity in LIV 2.0 or to cut ties ahead of a potential schedule on the DP World Tour next season.

These are the other players we’re still waiting to hear from…

Anirban Lahiri

Anthony Kim

Bjorn Hellgren

Branden Grace

Bryson DeChambeau

Bubba Watson

Byeong-hun An

Caleb Surratt

Cameron Smith

Carlos Ortiz

Charl Schwartzel

Dean Burmester

Dustin Johnson

Elvis Smylie

Graeme McDowell

Harold Varner III

Ian Poulter

Jason Kokrak

Joaquin Niemann

Josele Ballester

Lee Westwood

Louis Oosthuizen

Luis Masaveu

Marc Leishman

Martin Kaymer

Matt Wolff

Michael La Sasso

Min-kyu Kim

Paul Casey

Peter Uihlein

Phil Mickelson

Richard T Lee

Scott Vincent

Sebastian Munoz

Talor Gooch

Thomas Detry

Tyrrell Hatton

Young-han Song

Danny Lee

Miguel Tabuena