Lee Westwood Admits He’s Unemployed After LIV Golf Exodus

Lee Westwood, the 53-year-old former world number one who was among the first marquee names to bolt from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf in 2022, has declared himself unemployed.

He told The Chipping Forecast Podcast that he has not signed any agreement to be part of LIV Golf 2.0, the proposed restructured version of the Saudi-backed league.

"I currently am unemployed," Westwood said on the podcast, which was recorded just before LIV's lawyers confirmed in a New Jersey court that the tour would begin to "wind down" operations.

"I haven't signed up to anything anywhere. There's nothing been presented to me that was agreeable for LIV 2.0."

Westwood said that deadlines for players to commit to the rebooted league had come and gone without any communication from LIV's management.

"Deadlines have come and gone, and I've heard nothing, whether I have to sign or I don't have to sign," he said.

"I haven't signed 2.0. I haven't signed anything. This [Restructuring Support Agreement between LIV Golf and BC Partners] everybody talks about, I haven't signed that. So literally, I'm unemployed."

The admission comes as LIV Golf navigates Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, after losing the financial backing of Saudi Arabia in April amid the ongoing Iran war.

By September, LIV had filed for bankruptcy, and stars including Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Lucas Herbert, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter had already announced they were leaving.

Westwood, who turns 54 in April 2027, was one of the founding recruits for the rebel league.

He spoke of being excited by LIV's team format when he made the jump, having represented Europe in 11 Ryder Cups.

But in the podcast, he conceded that his main motivation for joining was financial.

"A massive financial package was put in front of me – I would have been stupid [to turn it down]," Westwood said.

"[But] that wasn't solely the reason that I signed up with LIV. I have no problem saying part of it was financial. I've made a fortune over the last four and a half years."

Westwood told the podcast's co-hosts — Eddie Pepperell, Andrew Cotter and Iain Carter — that he is now considering his options.

One possibility is rejoining the DP World Tour, the European circuit he left when he resigned his membership in 2023 alongside Ian Poulter and Richard Bland.

That resignation came after an arbitration panel ruled that the DP World Tour could sanction players for competing in conflicting events without a release.

If Westwood reapplies for membership, he would face a 10-tournament suspension and would not be able to tee it up until May in Turkey.

But the DP World Tour's new hardline stance could complicate that path.

DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings has stated publicly that, going forward, any player who elects to play on LIV Golf 2.0 will not also be allowed to play on the European circuit.

Since Westwood has not signed for LIV 2.0, that rule may not apply to him directly — but the uncertainty around the league's future makes any commitment risky.

Westwood also told the podcast that, at 53, he is eyeing the senior circuit while deciding how much of a schedule he wants to play.

"I've looked at the start of next year, and I'm going to enter the Sunningdale Foursomes with Sam, my son, first week in March," Westwood said.

"And then there's a senior event the week after."

The collapse of LIV Golf's 2.0 plans was confirmed in court on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Lawyers for LIV told a New Jersey judge that debtors would not be "proceeding with the LIV 2.0 plan" and would instead "toggle to a value-maximizing wind-down in their business."

BC Partners Credit had been lined up to provide up to $300 million to finance a revamped competition.

But those plans fell apart when LIV failed to convince enough major names to sign up for the project.

Rahm, Hatton and Garcia went public with their decisions to walk away.

Westwood never made a formal statement.

Asked about why he had refused to commit, Westwood said: "I've seen everybody's statement and I just don't get it. I won't be making a statement. It's nobody's business but mine where I go and play golf."

"And I don't feel like I've got to put a press release out [for] where I go and work."

The situation has also drawn Westwood into a broader debate about LIV Golf's impact on professional golf.

Earlier this week, DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings told The Scotsman that LIV Golf had spent over $7 billion with one of its aims being to "destroy the DP World Tour."

Rory McIlroy backed up that claim at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, saying he had heard similar comments at this year's Masters in April.

"I agree with Guy," McIlroy said.

"They took players; they took sponsors; they turned professional golf into an arms race. They were going around Augusta saying they wanted to destroy the European Tour. Yeah, I agree with everything."