Jon Rahm pulls the plug on the LIV Tour – a bombshell announcement that could finally destabilize the already shaky series. As his lawyer announced on Wednesday, the 31-year-old Rahm reviewed the "conditions" of the controversial league and deemed them "unacceptable." A real blow to LIV, which had filed for bankruptcy in the US as recently as September 2026 after the withdrawal of Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF.
We recall: In 2022, the founding of the LIV Tour caused a deep division in professional golf. At the time, Rahm, alongside Bryson DeChambeau, was one of the most prominent names to turn his back on the traditional PGA Tour to join the new golf circus. Now, the turnaround. Rahm's lawyer indicated before a US bankruptcy court in New Jersey that there were "advanced discussions about an amicable separation agreement." The agreement is to be presented to the court next month. Should it not succeed, Rahm intends to pursue "his objection" through legal channels. This could still get really messy.
The reasons for the departure are obvious: LIV has massive financial problems. The PIF has withdrawn as the main financier and leaves behind a wreckage with estimated liabilities of up to one billion US dollars – including to star players. The fund is said to have pumped a total of five billion dollars into the project. Nevertheless, there are still future plans: As "LIV 2.0," a restart is planned with new investors and a scaled-down schedule, from Australia to the USA. Whether that will still entice anyone remains to be seen.
However, Rahm's move could trigger further domino effects. Rumors of further departures by top stars have been circulating for some time. However, a return to the PGA Tour is not a foregone conclusion. The PGA recently clarified that a red-carpet welcome party for defecting players is not happening. This could become a real dead end for many.
