THE worst-kept secret in golf has finally been made public - Jon Rahm will play no further part in the future of LIV Golf.
His lawyer, John Beck, confirmed that Rahm had reviewed the proposed terms of LIV 2.0 and found them unacceptable, telling a bankruptcy hearing that the Spaniard would not be participating in the restructured league. Reuters reported the news following the hearing.
LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September, when it emerged that Rahm was among its biggest creditors. The parties are now working towards an agreement that would release him from his contract and resolve the money he is owed. They hope to finalise that agreement by October 15.
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BC Partners, who are backing LIV 2.0, have extended the deadline for players to commit to the league's future until October 25. The proposed restructuring includes up to $300m in funding, a reduced schedule and smaller financial commitments. According to the restructuring term sheet reported by Golf Channel, players would collectively receive a 52.5% equity stake in the new league.
But Rahm has decided that it is not for him, despite the enormous sums he has earned during his time with LIV, on top of the lucrative contract he originally signed. Sergio Garcia has also sought his release, while the futures of several others, including former Open champion Cameron Smith and serial LIV winner Joaquin Niemann, remain uncertain.
Rahm has won three consecutive overall individual titles in his three years with the breakaway league, winning four individual tournaments and enjoying an incredible run.
But his play in the majors has taken a significant dip. He made 11 starts in majors while playing for LIV, finishing in the top 10 just four times with no wins and two missed cuts. In the 12 starts before joining, Rahm enjoyed seven top-10 finishes, no missed cuts and won the 2021 U.S. Open and 2023 Masters.
He has consistently denied that joining LIV and playing less competitive golf has had anything to do with this but the evidence seems to suggest otherwise.
LIV's main job now is to somehow find a way to persuade Bryson DeChambeau not to jump ship. Rahm may have been its most successful individual performer but DeChambeau is its star draw and without him you get the feeling that LIV will simply fade away.
A host of LIV golfers are now regularly playing on the DP World Tour. Only last week, Adrian Meronk won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. It was a victory that reduced him to tears and transformed his prospects on the DP World Tour.
He knew that, without it, he had no status on the DP World Tour moving forward and is clearly ready to join Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed in leaving LIV. You have to imagine that the same applies to the likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Tom McKibbin and David Puig.
The clock is now ticking on LIV’s future, while questions will remain about the short-term future of Rahm. He has been welcomed back to the DP World Tour after paying his outstanding fines but will surely be eyeing a return to the PGA Tour. It remains to be seen what financial penalties he will face and whether he is prepared to pay them.
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