Jon Rahm is set to depart LIV Golf after rejecting the terms proposed for the tour’s restructured “LIV 2.0” iteration. During a bankruptcy hearing on Wednesday, attorney John Beck confirmed the decision, stating that the two-time major winner reviewed the new conditions and deemed them unacceptable. This move marks a significant shift for the series, which has struggled since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced in April that it would cease funding by the end of 2026. Confirmation that Jon Rahm will play no part in LIV Golf in its post-Saudi Arabian form is likely to be only the start of a mass exodus from the breakaway circuit. A bankruptcy hearing on Wednesday heard Rahm’s lawyer say “unacceptable” terms proposed by LIV 2.0 mean the Spaniard will shortly walk away from a tour which has lingering hopes of continuing as a going concern.
Rahm, who joined the tour in 2023, is currently in advanced discussions for a consensual separation agreement with the league. Financial documents revealed during the bankruptcy process previously showed that Rahm held an unsecured claim against the organization worth $7.5 million (£5.7 million). His departure is widely viewed as a precursor to a larger exodus, with players such as Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, and Adrian Meronk expected to leave once legal barriers are cleared. Many of these golfers are anticipated to move toward the DP World Tour for the 2027 season, potentially using that circuit as a pathway back to the PGA Tour.
The PIF is estimated to have invested more than $5 billion (£3.8 billion) into the project in its bid to disrupt the established professional golf landscape. Following the withdrawal of Saudi support, LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. last month, a move forced by the necessity of renegotiating lucrative multi-year player contracts that had become financially unsustainable. The tour has already reduced its operational footprint, cutting ties with all but a skeleton staff as it attempts to maintain a schedule of 75-man events into 2027. LIV faces a race against time to earn commitment from players of even average quality in its mission to continue with 75-man events into 2027. Which was intended to challenge golf’s established tours, it is estimated the PIF spent more than $5bn (£3.8bn) in the project.
While Rahm’s future is determined, the status of remaining marquee name Bryson DeChambeau stays uncertain. DeChambeau has expressed little interest in returning to the U.S.-based PGA Tour, though the viability of his preferred, long-term LIV model remains under significant scrutiny. Meanwhile, Rahm recently withdrew from the Spanish Open in Madrid to be with his wife, Kelley, who is expecting their fourth child. He also successfully settled a separate dispute with the DP World Tour, securing his eligibility for future Ryder Cup participation. With that sentiment thought to be mutual, deChambeau is known to have little appetite to return to the PGA Tour in the US. DeChambeau’s preference has always been an elongated version of LIV but that competitive model remains open to much question.
LIV Golf and BC Partners Credit, which entered into a formal restructuring support agreement on Tuesday, maintain a public stance of optimism. Ted Goldthorpe, a partner at BC Partners Credit, stated the goal remains to emerge from bankruptcy on sound financial footing with momentum for 2027. CEO Scott O’Neil added that the league continues to believe in its distinctive model, despite the challenges ahead. The details of a proposed $300 million (£227 million) financing package remain unclear as the organization races to secure enough talent to continue as a going concern. Including potentially $300m (£227m) financing, remains unclear, full detail of that.
