Rahm is Out of LIV Golf

Rahm’s lawyers confirmed in a US bankruptcy court this week that he will not join the proposed next version of LIV Golf. Rahm is reportedly owed more than US$100 million and is listed as the top unsecured creditor in the bankruptcy filing. His separation agreement with LIV is expected to be finalised shortly, possibly by October 15. This will end a three-year stint during which he won three consecutive individual LIV season titles.

The two-time major champion remains a significant force in the world rankings. He is currently No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking and is also a member of the DP World Tour.

His DP World Tour position is particularly relevant to what happens next. In May, Rahm reached an agreement with the tour that allowed him to continue playing LIV Golf while retaining his membership. As part of that agreement, he paid his outstanding fines and committed to playing five DP World Tour events during the 2026 season.

Rahm has played three of those five events – the Genesis Scottish Open, Amgen Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship. He was due to play this week’s Spanish Open, but withdrew because his wife Kelley is expecting their fourth child.

That leaves Rahm needing two more DP World Tour starts to fulfil the five-event commitment. His withdrawal from Spain makes the timing more interesting because the regular DP World Tour season is nearing its conclusion. Rahm is currently 43rd in the Race to Dubai with 1,025.45 points, putting him inside the top 70 for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The top 50 after Abu Dhabi qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

If Rahm plays Abu Dhabi and then qualifies for Dubai, those two starts would take him to the required five. Whether he needs to use those events to complete his commitment will depend on his schedule and his position in the Race to Dubai.

His return to the PGA TOUR is a separate issue. The PGA TOUR introduced a Returning Member Program this year, which allowed Brooks Koepka to return after leaving LIV, but the application window closed in February. There is currently no indication that the program will be reopened for Rahm. The normal pathways through the DP World Tour also remain relevant, but Rahm is not currently positioned for an automatic PGA TOUR card through the Race to Dubai.

Australia is where Rahm’s departure from LIV could become particularly interesting. The BMW Australian PGA Championship will be played at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney from November 26-29, followed by the Capital.com Australian Open at Kingston Heath from December 3-6. Both events are co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour.

Rahm therefore has a potential route into both tournaments through his DP World Tour membership. He has also previously expressed interest in playing in Australia. His departure from LIV Golf and with that the prospect of playing in Adelaide gone the only chance we have of seeing the great Spaniard is at the Australian PGA or the Australian Open later this year.

With his LIV commitment ending, Rahm is once again free to consider the Australian summer. Whether he actually makes the trip could depend on how he completes his remaining DP World Tour obligations – and what comes next for his PGA TOUR future. Jon Rahm’s decision to leave LIV Golf has opened the possibility of the Spaniard returning to Australia later this year, although there are still several pieces of the puzzle to fall into place.