Rahm: I left LIV Golf because I 'wasn't willing to follow' its 2.0 direction

Jon Rahm told BBC Sport in an article published on 3 November 2026 that he left LIV Golf because he "wasn't willing to follow" the path the breakaway series was taking, and he reached a separation agreement to secure his exit from the series in October.

Rahm is a two-time major winner, having taken the 2021 US Open and the 2023 Masters. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund withdrew its backing of LIV in April after investing more than $5bn (£3.8bn), and the circuit filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States in September. The league has since secured possible $300m (£224m) in financing to try to move forward with a so-called 'LIV 2.0'.

"As much as I liked the project and the idea on, let's say, LIV 1.0, I wasn't thrilled with the changes they were doing to 2.0 and I just wasn't willing to follow that path," said the 31-year-old Spaniard. "It wasn't anything special, anything that stood out. I just didn't like where they were going with 2.0."

Rahm left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf in December 2023 in a deal worth a reported £222m ($300m). ESPN reported he was owed about $100m (£75m) from the remainder of that contract. He negotiated a separation agreement with LIV in October to formalise his exit from the series.

"There were too many unknowns at the time," added the two-time major winner. "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."

Some players, including Brooks Koepka, have returned to the PGA Tour after the circuit rewrote its rules in December to allow the five-time major winner to come back subject to certain sanctions, including making a $5m (£3.7m) charitable donation as part of his return. The American-based circuit closed its returning member programme on 2 February, leaving Rahm still under a long-term contract with LIV. In May he reached a deal with the DP World Tour to retain his membership of the European circuit.

"Brooks was able to go back through certain circumstances," said Rahm. "I don't know if the possibility of that would be open for me or not. "But if I have to fulfil a one-year suspension, I think it's a pretty good position to be that a worst-case scenario I get to play on a wonderful tour [DP World Tour] for a whole year." Rahm added: "I seriously doubt I get offered the same deal that Brooks did, but if I got offered exactly the same penalties as him, I probably would do it, yes." The DP World Tour deal preserves his eligibility for next year's Ryder Cup.