LIV Golf Faces Existential Crisis as Jon Rahm Departs; PGA Tour Weighs Return Path for Defector

Jon Rahm has officially severed ties with LIV Golf, his attorney confirmed last week, dealing a significant blow to a circuit already navigating bankruptcy proceedings. With its roster of marquee names dwindling, the Saudi-backed league confronts urgent questions about its long-term viability and relevance in the professional golf ecosystem.

“Any league is only as strong as its stars,” said Josh Berhow, managing editor. “Rahm leaving is obviously a massive loss. You need those tentpoles to market your product and bring in eyeballs, and LIV already has so few of them. Rahm is kind of like a Jenga piece — pulling his block alone doesn’t bring down the whole tower, but pull a few more blocks and things can come crashing down in a hurry.”

Senior writer Sean Zak struck a more somber tone. “Just because it continues doesn’t necessarily mean much,” Zak said. “But losing Rahm is absolutely massive, even if it was expected. He was one of two LIV golfers the world cared about during majors. He was one of only a few LIV golfers who contended in majors. The league can survive in an extremely trimmed-down derivative form, which it has planned to do for the last few months. But it all feels a bit like a golf league in hospice.”

Associate editor Zephyr Melton added: “Survive in terms of continuing to stage professional golf tournaments? Likely yes. Survive in terms of being a major player in the global golf landscape? No chance. Without the names they are losing, the tour is no different than the Sunshine Tour or Challenge Tour.”

Rahm’s exit coincides with the apparent departures of fellow Spaniards Sergio Garcia and David Puig. For remaining LIV players with alternatives, the calculus has shifted.

“There are a lot of LIV players who don’t have as many options, so their spot in the league feels more secure,” Berhow noted. “But they aren’t the ones you really have to worry about. There’s just a handful you really need to watch. What’s Joaquin Niemann thinking? What about Tyrrell Hatton? And, most importantly, how does Rahm leaving affect Bryson DeChambeau’s decision? Bryson is more marketable than Rahm, and now all eyes are on him and what he might decide to do. He holds a lot of power when it comes to LIV’s future, but ironically not so much with the PGA Tour, which Bryson needs more than it needs Bryson.”

Zak views Rahm’s move as a precedent-setting moment. “Rahm’s a precedent, which is all LIV has ever really been. Phil Mickelson set the precedent by committing early on. So did Dustin Johnson. This is a precedent in the opposite direction. I’m not sure Rahm’s inclusion matters too much to, say, Cameron Smith, but I think a lot of golf fans wish it mattered to Cameron Smith. Which is to say, if a league with only a handful of top players loses its best player, it really should inspire others to follow his path.”

Melton expects a bifurcated outcome: “I’d expect those without solid status elsewhere to stay, but for those who can secure a soft landing, LIV will be in the rearview mirror. They already cashed in on their payday. No reason to stick around.”

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The focus now shifts to the PGA Tour and CEO Brian Rolapp. Rahm declined the return pathway offered to Brooks Koepka via the Returning Member Program, and Rolapp has shown little appetite for rolling out the red carpet for defectors seeking re-entry. The question remains: should an exception be made for Rahm? Is a one-year suspension appropriate?

“Rolapp has said the Returning Member Program had an expiration date, and I think it would be a terrible look to bring back Rahm immediately and with only a few slaps on the wrist,” Berhow said. “Yes, he would make the PGA Tour stronger. (I want Scottie and Rory battling Rahm more often just like everyone else.) But he also decided to take hundreds of millions of dollars and go to a league that was trying to bury the other. I think a one-year suspension, where we see Rahm on the DP World Tour and at majors, at a minimum, is sufficient. And if the penalty is something like that, and you are a player on the PGA Tour, are you OK with that? I’d still have a bad taste in my mouth.”

Zak advocates for strict adherence to existing pathways. “I actually think Rolapp shouldn’t make any exemption for anyone. There’s a clear pathway through the DP World Tour. If Rolapp wants to widen it a touch, into the 2028 Championship Series, now would be the time — before those pathways have all been decided — to slip some access through without many people noticing. That would give him a lot of credit with the 150 or so other players who he’s asking to fight for their future next year. Why shouldn’t Rahm have to fight just as hard, or harder?”

Melton concurred: “I agree with Zak. If you can play your way back, fine. But there should be no special treatment for those who passed up their opportunity to come back in the past. The Tour has proven it can survive without them — and will continue to.”

Three years ago, LIV stunned the golf world by luring Rahm, then the reigning Masters champion, from the PGA Tour. His eventual return now seems inevitable. What will his LIV chapter mean for his legacy?

“It’s always going to come down to how many majors someone won or their Ryder Cup heroics, and Rahm, already with two major titles and a strong Ryder Cup resume, should be fine in those departments,” Berhow said. “I’d be shocked if he doesn’t win at least another major title. But years from now you can’t tell his story without the chapter that included him ditching the Tour for money and then leaving when things predictably didn’t go as planned. I’m sure he won’t lose much sleep over it. Way back when some of this rival golf league chatter started six years ago, Rory McIlroy said he wasn’t interested and wanted to be on the ‘right side of history.’ Regardless of what you think of Rory, I think there’s something to that.”

Zak offered a nuanced view: “I think Josh will end up being correct, even if it feels generous right now. It’ll be three years, in the end, that Rahm played at LIV, and during those years he absolutely dominated that competition. He just didn’t dominate the rest of pro golf. He dominated in the Ryder Cup. And he contended in a few majors — just not many. I think you can overcome any lingering weirdness pretty easily by playing good golf for the next few years. But I’m not sure his LIV stint will ever look good on paper.”

Melton invoked a familiar axiom: “As the old saying goes, winning cures everything. If Rahm gets back to his winning ways post-LIV, all will be forgiven. If not, it’ll go down as one of the biggest what-ifs in golf history.”

Meanwhile, the Korn Ferry Tour Championship produced 20 newly minted PGA Tour members for 2027, headlined by 19-year-old Blades Brown — the youngest player ever to graduate via the developmental circuit. Brown’s rapid ascent has generated considerable buzz.

“Let’s put it this way — Blades Brown is closer in age to No. 6 Am Miles Russell, who is still in high school, than Jackson Koivun, who just splashed on the scene in a major way,” Zak said. “I use that to say, Brown made it to the PGA Tour his way and is barely outta high school. This wasn’t just a hot month that got him there. He’s absolutely the real deal and I’m excited to watch a full season of him at the top level. Hopefully he can hang, and even get in to the Signature Events. (I suspect he might get a sponsor’s exemption nod or two.)”

Berhow urged patience: “The potential is certainly there, but will he deliver? We’ll have to wait and find out, and I think it’s fair to give him some time, too. We’ve seen several ‘can’t miss’ prospects struggle to make an immediate impact on the PGA Tour lately, with Koivun being the main exception. But it’s going to be a lot of fun seeing what Blades can do next year and a nice little storyline to watch.”

Melton offered measured enthusiasm: “Love me some Blades Brown. Unfortunately there’s no telling how his game will translate to the next level. We’ve seen can’t miss prospects flop before.”

Beyond Brown, each panelist highlighted a graduate to watch.

Zak tabbed Dylan Menante: “I’m excited to watch Dylan Menante, better known as the fastest player in golf. I’d love to watch him and Ludvig Aberg go off first in a 2-ball and set a proper pace for everyone. Every KFT player talks about how fast Dylan plays, and the numbers back it up.”

Berhow pointed to points-race winner Ross Steelman: “There’s a good mix, per usual, of young talent and more experienced 30-somethings finally earning their cards, but I think it’s worth highlighting the guy who won the whole points-race thing, Ross Steelman. Only because strong Korn Ferry Tour seasons do translate well to the big stage, and Steelman won twice and had nine top-10 finishes. Also, he rocks a great mustache.”

Melton selected Cole Sherwood: “Former college teammate of Gordon Sargent who has steadily progressed through pro golf since leaving Vanderbilt. He may not be as flashy as some others, but he’s a damn solid player.”

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