\t\t\t\tHe won the most tournaments in LIV Golf\u2019s short history. But Joaquin Niemann\u2019s latest comments have raised big questions over his future with the league\u2026<\/p>\n
With the deadline looming for LIV Golf to sign up the players required to salvage its future, one of the league\u2019s most successful players has raised further doubts about his own participation. <\/p>\n
Chilean Joaquin Niemann lifted his national open for the very first time on Sunday, with birdies on his final two holes at Club de Golf Las Brisas de Chicureo enough to win by four shots. Niemann bounced back from a 1-over 73 on Friday with a third-round 64 and then closed out his third victory of the season with a 67 on Sunday.<\/p>\n
But Niemann\u2019s victory in Chile was preceded by some intriguing comments to local media about his LIV future. The 27-year-old, who has nine individual titles and, despite not topping the overall money table<\/a>, has arguably been LIV\u2019s strongest player, is considering whether to commit to the unknown with LIV or seek a pathway back to the traditional circuits. <\/p>\n \u201cThe truth is, I\u2019m still deciding what to do,\u201d he admitted in an interview translated from La Tecera<\/a>. \u201cWhether I want to stay and believe in what\u2019s happening in the league or go play more in Europe and from there try to get on the PGA Tour. Those are my two options in the end. I\u2019ll have to make a decision in a couple of weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, the time of reckoning is soon upon us for LIV players. <\/p>\n LIV\u2019s bankruptcy filings show that October 13 could be the key date<\/a>. The league\u2019s future hinges on a deal with private equity firm BC Partners with which a term sheet has been signed for a potential $300 million in total financing.<\/p>\n That term sheet is listed in the documents as a \u201cRestructuring Support Agreement\u201d and, crucially there are several clauses, or \u201ckey milestones\u201d, that must be met for the transaction to take place. These milestones need to have been met within 35 days of the bankruptcy petition being filed on September 8 to satisfy their prospective investor\u2019s demands.<\/p>\n The demands include \u201crequisite number of players\u201d joining the agreement before the deadline. That is described as: \u201cThe requisite players means players holding eligible player claims\u2026 that equal or exceed (a) 2\/3 in amount and (b) 1\/2 in number of such eligible player claims held by all players.\u201d<\/p>\n Essentially, this means half the players who have claims against LIV need to have signed up for the reimagined LIV 2.0 before the mid-October deadline. And the total value of the claims connected to the committed players must at least match two-thirds of the collective player claims. Niemann is one of the biggest claimaints on LIV\u2019s bankruptcy filing<\/a>, owed around $1.3m.<\/p>\n LIV sources suggest they are still confident they will secure the \u201ccritical mass\u201d of players required to make \u2018LIV 2.0\u2019 possible and are aiming to placate uncertain stars by offering them equity in the reimagined league. <\/p>\n