Jon Rahm could be set to leave LIV Golf, pay massive penalties to return to PGA Tour in matter of weeks
LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil has remained adamant that the breakaway tour will continue in 2027 and beyond, even without the support of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, remaining a top competitor for the PGA Tour.
But for that to be the case, it seems O'Neil and LIV will likely have to do it without one of their best players and biggest draws. While some players have expressed support for LIV, whatever it winds up being, or at least no desire to return to the PGA Tour, others have acknowledged that the path forward is unclear.
Ian Poulter, one of the first to leave for LIV, even recently stated that time might "run out" for the tour to replace their funding for 2027. Their team championship event in Michigan was officially canceled, too, after weeks of rumors. And now it seems the wait for the other shoe to drop is coming to an end as well.
One new report from the "Tee Times Pub" account on X has said that LIV star Jon Rahm has made a deal to return to the PGA Tour in a matter of weeks. With some heavy financial penalties and other "punishments" attached.
Their post says that Rahm will have to pay a "$25 million fine," which would be donated to charity, along with going on an "apology tour." That "apology tour" would reportedly involve "announcing his separation from LIV Golf and a return to 'traditional golf.'"
He would also not be able to play in the PGA's high-purse "Signature events," unless he "plays his way into them." That would mean no sponsor exemptions, despite the increased ratings and interest Rahm would bring to those events.
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All of these terms seem close enough to realistic, and the PGA Tour would obviously want Rahm back in the fold, competing against Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. But others have contradicted the Tee Times account, particularly Joel Beall from Golf Digest.
Beall posted in response "that reports about Jon Rahm striking a deal to return to the PGA Tour are inaccurate/premature at this point."
The Tee Times account then added some more context in response, saying that "it's believed to be an agreement reached between parties, though it can't be formalized because Rahm is still under contract with LIV.
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"The PGAT certainly can't approach him to have these discussions (see: potential tortious interference), and he could be taking further financial risks by approaching them. For these reasons, it's advantageous for the tour to downplay this, act as if these conversations haven't happened, or that a deal is 'premature.'"
It's hard to know what to trust, but given LIV's substantive issues and uncertainty, it wouldn't be surprising if Rahm and his team are looking to get him back on the PGA Tour as soon as possible. There may be other pathways, but would, for example, one of the best handful of players in the world want to spend a year playing DP World Tour events to try and return to the PGA?
Then there's the other side of it, that Rahm is still under contract with LIV. It's unclear how easy, or not, it would be for Rahm to get out of his deal. If there are requirements LIV has to meet, or exit clauses based on purses or guaranteed contracts, it could just be a matter of the 31-year-old waiting for the right time. If not, this could stretch on longer than anticipated.
Often, with reports on LIV's issues, there's a similar pattern. Someone from outside the traditional world of golf reporting says that something will happen, like a canceled tournament, more official sources deny it, or say it's premature, and then the initial report is proven right. If that pattern holds here, we won't have long to wait to find out if Rahm is indeed headed back to the PGA Tour. Stay tuned.