Jon Rahm will not participate in LIV Golf 2.0: Lawyer says terms for new league are 'unacceptable to him'

LIV Golf will be losing one of its biggest stars as it looks to reinvent itself after bankruptcy

Oct 7, 2026 at 12:51 pm ET • 2 min read

Jon Rahm will not be part of LIV Golf 2.0, leaving the golf league without one of its biggest stars and draws for potential investors as it goes through bankruptcy.

Rahm's lawyer made the announcement during LIV Golf's bankruptcy hearing on Wednesday, stating 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," according to Front Office Sports.

Immediately following the bankruptcy filing, in which Rahm is listed as the top unsecured creditor with more than $7 million owed to him for the third quarter of 2026 alone, Rahm stated that he was "more than willing to fulfill" his contract with LIV 1.0.

However, the revamped league will not be honoring those contracts, and the new offer on the table, which included an ownership stake, is not something Rahm is interested in. He will now leave LIV Golf and explore his options elsewhere. That's obviously a huge blow to LIV's efforts to reinvent itself and attract investors, and it raises questions about whether they will retain any of their top talent for the league's next iteration.

With the bankruptcy filing, Rahm and other LIV players were reportedly able to leave the tour of their own accord, with no requirements to sign on for LIV Golf 2.0. Rahm will take advantage of that opportunity to cut ties, and now the big question is what comes next for the two-time major champion.

The PGA Tour has been unwilling to enter into any negotiations with players until there is clarity on their contractual situation with LIV Golf. Perhaps this announcement in court will provide that clarity on Rahm's situation, and one would expect conversations to take place between Rahm and the PGA Tour in the near future regarding a potential path for his return.

Those conversations may not happen immediately, though. Rahm withdrew from the Spanish Open on Wednesday, citing the upcoming birth of his fourth child with his wife, Kelley, and said he would take some time to be with his family as they welcome a new addition.

With the changes to the PGA Tour's structure coming in 2028, it's unclear how that will affect potential negotiations, but as the 2023 Masters champion, he should have an exemption to the Championship Series. If the Tour does not provide another immediate pathway to rejoin the Tour in 2027 as they did with Brooks Koepka last year, Rahm (and others) would have to take the Patrick Reed route of spending a season on the DP World Tour before regaining PGA Tour status.