Golf

As LIV Golf enters its new phase of operations, one of the league’s biggest stars has decided to step away.

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Jon Rahm, the two-time major champion who spent the past three years playing for LIV Golf, has publicly announced that he will be stepping away from the league. Rahm’s team made the announcement at LIV Golf’s bankruptcy hearing that the star golfer was not satisfied with LIV’s offer to him to stay with the league.

Rahm’s loss is a major hit to LIV Golf, as he represented one of the league’s best and most marketable players. Rahm ends his LIV Golf career as the league’s two-time individual championship, as he won four tournaments and finished in the top five in 16 tournaments overall.

While Rahm did not announce his next move, it is logical that he will try to find a way to re-join the PGA Tour, but that will be difficult. Here’s why Rahm is leaving LIV Golf.

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Why Jon Rahm is leaving LIV Golf

In LIV Golf’s bankruptcy hearing on Wednesday, Jon Rahm revealed the news that he plans on leaving the tour moving forward.

«Mr. Rahm has independently reviewed the proposed terms of LIV 2.0…and has determined that those terms are unacceptable to him, and he will not be participating going forward in LIV 2.0,» Rahm’s representation said in the hearing on Wednesday.

«Mr. Rahm has independently reviewed the proposed terms of LIV 2.0…and has determined that those terms are unacceptable to him, and he will not be participating going forward in LIV 2.0.» @TheAthletic

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— Gabby Herzig (@GabbyHerzig) October 7, 2026

Rahm left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in December of 2023 for what was believed to be one of the biggest contracts in the league. Since leaving, Rahm dominated on the LIV tour but struggled in major tournaments, failing to build off his Masters win in 2023.

In the end, Jon Rahm finishes his LIV tenure with 11 major starts, 0 wins, 4 top-10s and 2 MCs. In the 3 years before LIV, Rahm made 12 major starts, had 7 top-10 finishes, 0 missed cuts and, yes, 2 major wins. His age 29-31 seasons featured just one top-5 finish at a major.

— James Colgan (@jamescolgan26) October 7, 2026

With LIV Golf facing a restructuring after losing its Saudi funding, the tour will need to look much different beginning in 2027. Rahm took a look at LIV’s plans for its next phase and decided he will continue his professional career elsewhere.

This doesn’t mean that Rahm will automatically return to the PGA Tour, though, as the Tour has not committed to accepting former LIV players. Rahm could also try to first play full-time on the DP World Tour, but his past issues with that tour could also lead to complications.

Rahm’s next move remains unclear as his immediate future in golf is murky, but he is still one of the most talented players in the sport who will land on his feet somewhere. Thanks to his win at the Masters in 2023, he is eligible to participate in all four majors during the 2027 season regardless of where he plays next.

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