Despite LIV Golf events like Adelaide and South Africa gaining traction, uncertainty is settling in. With PIF officially out of the picture, most LIV golfers are mapping out the next steps, but notJon Rahm. He was the professional with the biggest LIV Golf contract, and now, he is the one facing the biggest hurdle as well.
During LIV Golf Virginia, an interviewer asked Rahm whether he could end his contract or would have to stay in the league, and his answer said everything.
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“I’ll say I’m also not a lawyer. I have no idea. I couldn’t tell you. I have very few talents in my life, and reading a contract or business are not two of them. Again, like you just said, as of right now, I have several years on my contract left, and I’m pretty sure they did a pretty good job when they drafted that. So Idon’t see many ways out, and as of right now, I’m not really thinking about it since we still have a season to play and majors to compete for. So it’s not something I want to think about just yet.”
The Spaniard reportedly signed a multi-year, $500 million contract with the breakaway league. Sources suggest his contract extends beyond 2027. In contrast,Bryson DeChambeau’scontract ends post the 2026 season. Thus, he will be a free agent, which makes things much simpler for him amid the financial turmoil.
Spain s Jon Rahm on the 8th hole during the day 2 of the 2025 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, United States, on April 11, 2025. Noxthirdxpartyxsales PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxJPN 287440306
But the 11x PGA Tour winner doesn’t see a way out because of the high-value contract. If he doesn’t abide by the contract, he may face buyout penalties and other legal consequences. But there are still a few possibilities, such as force majeure—contract termination because of unforeseeable events—and mutual termination if the league shuts down.
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However, the point we are trying to make here is that Rahm could only leave the league if LIV Golf allows him to. That’s why he thinks the breakaway league did a good job drafting it.
These need to be discussed because LIV Golf is facing its biggest challenge yet.PIF has officially announced it will cut fundingfor the breakaway league after 2026. CEO Scott O’Neil is trying to attract investors to keep the league going. But Rahm couldn’t do anything about that. Therefore, he is focusing on the remaining season and majors.
As O’Neil had announced, the remaining 2026 season can run at full throttle. There are seven events left this season: Virginia, Korea, Andalucia, the United Kingdom, New York, Indianapolis, and Michigan. Louisiana could also be there, but for now, the league haspostponed it until the fall, not giving a specific date.
Rahm is also focusing on majors, which he should do after his poor performance at the 2026 Masters. With rounds of 78-70-73-68, he finished +1 289, which was average at best, especially for someone with his reputation. He would want to change that when playing the PGA Championship (May 14-17, 2026), the US Open (June 18-21, 2026), and the Open Championship (July 16-19, 2026).
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It’s not like he has not had a good season this entire year. Of the six events he played this season on LIV Golf, he won two, was runner-up in three, and finished solo 5th in one. This means that if he focuses, he could perform way better at the majors. But he’s not thinking about that now, as a huge burden has recently been taken off his shoulders.
Jon Rahm is still eligible to play in the Ryder Cup 2027
The Spaniard opposed the DP World Tour’s fines anddidn’t even accept the deal that eight other LIV golfers did. Though a few fans focused on his $3 million fines, the main issue was his DP World Tour membership. Risking that meant he would be ineligible to play in the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor.
But thankfully,things have worked out between the two parties. At the LIV Golf Virginia press conference, he said, “There’s no longer a standoff. We were able to reach an agreement. There was some concessions on both sides. I offered some; they extended an olive branch.”
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Although Rahm didn’t give any details about the concessions, this deal has paved the way for him to play in next year’s Ryder Cup and help his team defend the title at home. Although Luke Donald, who will captain for the third consecutive time, hasn’t finalized the team yet, this is still great news, as almost everyone feels Jon Rahm should be on the team.
Although Rahm found some with his Ryder Cup path, his immediate future with LIV Golf remains uncertain. For now, he is content in one arena, yet tied to unanswered questions in another.
