Jon Rahm has revealed he left LIV Golf because he was not willing to follow the direction the breakaway series was taking with its planned "LIV 2.0" revamp. The two-time major winner said he liked the original LIV concept but was not thrilled with the changes proposed for the new version.
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. LIV has since secured a possible $300 million in financing to move forward with LIV 2.0, but Rahm reached a separation agreement in October to secure his exit.
Rahm joined LIV Golf from the PGA Tour in December 2023 in a deal reported to be worth £222 million ($300 million). ESPN reported he was owed about $100 million (£75 million) from the remainder of his contract, which he effectively sacrificed to leave.
"There were too many unknowns at the time," Rahm said. "It seemed like it was going a bit away from team golf. It became more of a regular tournament. It wasn't really ever much of a consideration."
While some players such as Brooks Koepka have returned to the PGA Tour under revised rules, Rahm remains under a long-term contract with LIV. In May, he reached a deal with the DP World Tour to retain his European circuit membership and remain eligible for next year's Ryder Cup. LIV golfers are automatically banned for a year by the PGA Tour, but the DP World Tour offers a pathway, with the leading 10 players gaining access to PGA Tour membership.
Rahm acknowledged the possibility of a PGA Tour return similar to Koepka's but said he doubts he would be offered the same terms. "If I got offered exactly the same penalties as him, I probably would do it, yes," he added.
