Dustin Johnson is among a group of more than 10 LIV players who are hoping to negotiate with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in hopes of receiving money from unpaid contracts.
The Athletic reported Sunday that Johnson, along with Bubba Watson and Thomas Detry among others, are seeking severance deals with claims of more than $100 million. The news comes on the same day as the deadline for players commitments for LIV 2.0, a date which BC Partners has already pushed back once and could do so again. Only four players have publicly committed to the next iteration of the league, with more than a dozen saying they were moving on.
The report states none of the players in Johnson’s group are expected to sign the restructuring agreement between LIV
and BC Partners in its current form.
“Given their reliance on these promises, our group seeks a sensible severance payment as part of the wind-up of LIV,” David Cornwell, Johnson’s lawyer and formerly general manager for Johnson’s 4 Aces team, told The Athletic. “The decision to release potential claims against the PIF and join LIV 2.0 will be influenced largely by how the PIF manages the wind-up of LIV 1.0.”
The PIF initially offered contract settlements for up to 2 cents on the dollar. Earlier this year, the PIF announced it would no longer fund the league following the 2026 season, eventually leading to LIV Golf filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month and ongoing court hearings determining the league's future.
BC Partners committed $300 million to the league for 2027 if LIV 2.0 earned enough player commitments, but the league has had a hard time retaining talent or notable names for the next iteration. Sunday was the deadline for commitments, though that date could be postponed again.
The report states PIF viewed itself as an equity investor in LIV Golf. The PIF has not been involved in any conversations regarding the future of LIV Golf nor conversations with the players seeking severance or their counsel.
This news comes on the heels of court documents revealing earlier this week that LIV leaders received massive payouts this summer with bankruptcy looming. CEO Scott O'Neil received a retention payment of more than $6.3 million in late June. This came as LIV reportedly failed to pay its contractors and vendors on time and was forced to layoff a majority of its staff after canceling the season-ending Team Championship in Michigan.
From Sept. 12, 2025, through Aug. 28, O’Neil received more than $13.6 million in payroll, bonuses, benefits, retention payments and expense reimbursements, according to the court records.
LIV paid about $15.6 million in retention payments to top executives. Chief financial officer David Phillips received more than $3.3 million, while chief legal officer John Ruzich received about $2.6 million.
Cornwell states LIV players seeking severance made “career-altering decisions” based on “repeated promises” from the PIF, which strongly influenced their decision to accept recruitment to the league. Cornwell said players are hesitant to move forward with LIV until they know more about settlements for payments they are owed, per the report.
LIV expects player claims to be handled through the bankruptcy court process, the report states.
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Report: Dustin Johnson-led LIV group seeks severance payments from PIF after bankruptcy
