LIV’s $100 Million Valuation Claim Faces Player Reality Check
· Yahoo Sports
Private equity firm BC Partners claims each LIV Golf team could be worth over $100 million very soon. This bold promise comes as the league struggles to secure player buy-ins for its reboot. Stars like Jon Rahm and Joaquín Niemann are hesitating to own stakes in a venture that requires them to fund their own salaries. The math simply does not add up for many top players right now.
The White Knight Pitch
On Tuesday, LIV CEO Scott O’Neil and investor Ted Goldthorpe appeared at the Sportico Invest Conference in London. They presented a plan to move the league from Saudi-backed funding to a standard business model. Goldthorpe, the new money man, told the crowd that the league’s 13 franchises could easily reach high valuations. He stated, “I think you could easily see a path in very short order to over a $100 million valuation per team. I think that’s a real number.”
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BC Partners has already committed $4 million of its planned $300 million investment, per Golf Australia. This initial cash is meant to help the league emerge from bankruptcy. The firm wants to see players own 52.5 percent of the teams to cover the shortfall in prize money. This requirement shifts the financial burden directly onto the golfers who are already wary of the league’s future.
Stars Push Back on Ownership
While the investors talk big numbers, the players are asking hard questions about their time and careers. The deadline for player commitments was extended to October 25 to give them more time. Adrian Meronk, who recently won at St Andrews, explained his hesitation clearly.
“Obviously I came here after the LIV season was done to keep my status, to keep my playing rights for next season,” Meronk said. He added, “Obviously this helps me a lot. So, I’m going to have to re-evaluate my goals, my schedule and how my future will look like.”
Joaquín Niemann is even more skeptical about the timeline required to build these teams. He noted that owning a franchise might take years to become profitable. “Knowing that it’s something that I think could take a couple of years. I don’t know if it’s something I want to do at this stage of my career,” Niemann told Latercera. He concluded, “So, these are questions I have to ask myself before making a decision.”
The situation is complicated further by recent exits. On Tuesday, a New Jersey bankruptcy court granted Sergio Garcia a release from his contract. His departure signals that even founding members are looking for ways out. This lack of commitment from top names makes the $100 million valuation claim look like a sales pitch rather than a financial reality.
The Road Ahead Remains Unclear
Goldthorpe insists the next 22 days will focus on signing up players, stating, “We’re all systems go.” Yet the core issue remains that players must put their own money into the league to make it work. The league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early September, and the restructuring plan relies heavily on player equity. If the biggest stars refuse to buy in, the valuation model collapses before it starts.
Jon Rahm’s contract remains in limbo, with a court hearing set for November 5.