Lee Westwood says he is currently “unemployed” while weighing his options, with no agreement in place to join LIV Golf’s proposed 2.0 format and no discussions with the DP World Tour about returning. The 53-year-old Englishman joined LIV when the breakaway league launched in 2022.

LIV’s future is uncertain after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund withdrew its backing and the league filed for bankruptcy protection last month. LIV has secured possible financing of $300m from BC Partners Credit as it seeks to continue with a 2027 competition, but only a handful of players have committed so far.

Speaking to The Chipping Forecast podcast, Westwood said the terms presented for LIV 2.0 were not acceptable to him and needed further refinement. He added that he had not signed anything. Westwood said his earnings over the past four and a half years had given him financial security, but that he still enjoys playing golf.

Westwood said he could consider a return to the DP World Tour, where he has won 25 times, but has not yet had a substantive conversation with the tour. Rejoining would require him to serve a 10-tournament suspension imposed after he resigned his membership to join LIV. He said that signing up on 12 November would mean serving the suspension through the South African Open, with Turkey in May the earliest event he could potentially play.

Jon Rahm, who secured his exit from LIV through a separation agreement in October, has also spoken about his decision. The two-time major winner said he liked the original LIV project but was not comfortable with the direction proposed for LIV 2.0, which he felt was moving away from team golf and becoming more like a conventional tournament.

Rahm joined LIV in a deal reported to be worth $300m. ESPN reported that $100m remained on his contract when he left. He made the comments at the Abu Dhabi Championship, his first event since departing the league. Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton and Graeme McDowell have also left LIV in recent weeks.

Westwood said he believes LIV 2.0 could succeed as a business if it gets off the ground, but questioned whether it could attract enough players.

Sources: BBC Sport.