Report: Dustin Johnson part of group looking to negotiate unpaid LIV contracts with PIF
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Two-time major champion Dustin Johnson’s name is part of a list of more than 10 golfers who are attempting to negotiate with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in attempts to receive money for their unpaid LIV Golf contracts, according to a report in The Athletic.
The report says that the group claims it’s owed more than $100 in payments and is looking for what essentially would be “severance deals.” The PIF funded LIV Golf until earlier this year when it said that it no longer would sink money into the league.
Bubba Watson and Thomas Detry are said to be part of the group. Bryson DeChambeau is not.
LIV Golf has a new investor, BC Partners Credit, and a deadline is nearing for players to commit to the 2.0 version of the tour for 2027 although there are no specifics on what the tour will look like. None of the players in this aforementioned group are expected to sign a deal with 2.0 league. Jon Rahm is among the many names who have said they will not continue. (Here Golf Digest’s list of who is leaving and who is staying.)
The Athletic report says that Johnson’s attorney and former general manager of his 4Aces LIV Golf team, David Cornwell, is representing the group.
“Given their reliance on these promises, our group seeks a sensible severance payment as part of the wind-up of LIV,” Cornwell said in a statement to 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.”
Cornwell went on to tell The Athletic that he thinks one of the reasons why players don’t want to sign with LIV for 2027 is because they don’t yet know when or if they’ll more receive payments for what they feel they are owed.
Court documents were released earlier this week that said LIV Golf paid $15.6 million in retention payments to executives before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The largest went to CEO Scott O'Neil, who received a $6.375 million retention bonus on June 24. He also received another $2.7 million bonus in February.