LIV golfers begin to map out their futures

So Bryson DeChambeau is going to focus on his YouTube channel if nobody else wants him. And, surprise, surprise, Jon Rahm has made his peace with the DP World Tour. Oh, and Thomas Pieters will retire rather than playing on the PGA Tour..

It’s been a busy week in Virginia, where LIV have been playing their first tournament since PIF announced it will be pulling the plug at the end of 2026.

I don’t think DeChambeau need have too many worries about his future. If ever there is a player who will be in demand, it is him. If there is going to be a sticking point it will surely surround the financial penalties the PGA Tour is going to have to impose on him, just as they did with Brooks Koepka. He could choose the DP World Tour route, but I can't really see that happening.

Rahm was adamant that he wouldn’t be paying outstanding fines to the DP World Tour and everybody has been pretty tight-lipped about the terms of his return. It is believed he has agreed to hand over £2m.

It means Rahm will be eligible for next year's Ryder Cup in Ireland. The Spaniard had been embroiled in a long-running dispute and had refused to pay fines for playing LIV Golf events without official permission since he made his debut on the breakaway tour in 2024.

He became ineligible for DP World Tour events and, as a member not in good standing, would not have been available for Ryder Cup selection next year. Throughout the dispute, Rahm had argued a solution would be found. He will now be required to play a minimum of five DP World Tour events.

"There's no longer a stand-off," Rahm said. "We were able to reach an agreement. There [were] some concessions on both sides.  I offered some, they extended an olive branch. That will not be a stress any more."

A DP World Tour spokesperson said: "The DP World Tour and Jon Rahm have come to an agreement on conditional releases to play in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf during the remainder of its 2026 season.

"This involves payment of all outstanding fines accrued from 2024 to date, along with participation in agreed DP World Tour tournaments (outside the majors) in the remainder of the 2026 season."

As for Pieters, what’s he on?

The Belgian, a six-time winner on the DP World Tour, also spent time on the PGA Tour. He said that, unlike players such as DeChambeau, he "will be forgotten."

He said: "I have gotten a lot out of it already [he means money], and I’ve achieved a lot of stuff that I didn’t think was possible when I was a kid growing up in Belgium. But I will be forgotten, which is fine. I’m no Brooks Koepka, or Rory, and I’m completely fine with that."

He said he might return to the DP World Tour but ruled out a return to the PGA Tour, saying: "I’m definitely never going back to the PGA Tour. I’ve never liked that life. And that’s not me having a go at the PGA Tour, it’s not for me. I tried it and I just wasn’t happy there. If it [LIV Golf] goes away, I’ll probably try and play some on the European Tour or I don’t know. I really don’t know.

"I’m not fussed about it at this point because I feel like I still have a duty to focus on these next six, seven tournaments on LIV and then we’ll see. They’re obviously trying to get it together next year. We’ll see."

But he was also realistic enough to admit that LIV chief Scott O’Neil faces a "massive challenge" to secure new funding for the league to continue into 2027.

And then there was Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion. He said: "I don’t know where this is going to go. There’s a lot of players out here that if this goes away [LIV Golf], they’ve got nowhere to go. Do they deserve that? Is that their own fault? There’s a lot of people out here that have their jobs tied to this, people who work here. All the negativity on social media the last three weeks? It just disappoints me on so many levels.

"There are people who hate this, hate this produce product with passion, and they can’t wait for it to fail. I partly get it, and I partly don’t get it. It’s a little sad on some levels. I guess it comes from a traditionalist, protective, trying to protect what this game is on a lot of levels, which is history, tradition, legacy.

"But I love a lot about it. I feel very fortunate that it came along what it did just on a personal level."

Well he would love it, wouldn’t he? Despite an underwhelming run since joining LIV, McDowell has still pocketed $14m in individual prize-money, as well as his signing on fee. At least he finally admitted that he had done it for the money and said he now wished he had owned up to that in the first place rather claiming he was doing it to help grow the game.