By Fatma Younis
Jon Rahm has confirmed he left LIV Golf because he was unwilling to follow the direction of the circuit's revamped "LIV 2.0" format. The two-time major winner said he was not thrilled with the changes being implemented and chose to secure his exit through a separation agreement in October.
Background on LIV Golf upheaval
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund withdrew its backing of LIV Golf in April after investing more than $5 billion, leading the league to file for bankruptcy protection in the United States in September. The circuit has since secured a possible $300 million in financing to move forward with LIV 2.0.
Rahm's move and contract details
Rahm joined LIV Golf in December 2023 in a deal reported to be worth $300 million. At the time of his departure, ESPN reported he was owed about $100 million from the remainder of his contract. Rahm said there were too many unknowns and that the league appeared to be moving away from its team-golf concept toward a more regular tournament structure.
PGA Tour return and Ryder Cup eligibility
Other players, including Brooks Koepka, have returned to the PGA Tour after it rewrote its rules in December to allow returns subject to sanctions such as a $5 million charitable donation. However, the PGA Tour closed its returning member programme on February 2 while Rahm remained under contract with LIV. In May, Rahm reached an agreement with the DP World Tour to retain his membership and stay eligible for next year's Ryder Cup. LIV golfers face an automatic one-year ban from the PGA Tour, but the DP World Tour offers a pathway, with the leading 10 players gaining access to PGA Tour membership.
Rahm on potential PGA Tour return
Rahm acknowledged that Koepka's return came under specific circumstances and said he did not know if a similar path would be open to him. He added that a one-year suspension would still leave him in a good position to play on the DP World Tour. If offered the same penalties as Koepka, Rahm said he would likely accept them.
