Jon Rahm doesn't see 'many ways out' of LIV Golf contract

Jon Rahm confirmed he has multiple years left on his LIV Golf contract and doesn't currently see an avenue towards leaving the fledgling league even if he wanted to.

Rahm signed with LIV Golf in December 2023 for a deal reported to be in the $300-500 million range. While he did not provide specifics while speaking at the league's Virginia event on Tuesday, the Spaniard did acknowledge his contract runs beyond 2026.

"I have several years on my contract left, and I'm pretty sure they did a pretty good job when they drafted that. So I don't see many ways out," Rahm said.

LIV Golf is currently seeking new funding sources after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund confirmed last month that it will end its financial backing of the league. That has led to reports that several players have reached out to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour about potentially returning.

LIV's two marketable stars are Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. While DeChambeau's contract expires at the end of 2026, he has maintained his focus is on helping the team-based league survive. And Rahm confirmed that he's contractually obligated to stay, at least for the time being.

"I'll say I'm also not a lawyer. I have no idea. I couldn't tell you. I have very few talents in my life, and reading a contract or business are not two of them," Rahm said.

LIV's future beyond 2026 remains highly uncertain. The league has retained an investment firm as it transitions to a "multi-partner" format, but CEO Scott O'Neil has acknowledged new funding sources must be brought on board with PIF ending its support.

Rahm did confirm Tuesday that he has reached an agreement with the DP World Tour that will allow him to play in several events later this year, which will also help him remain eligible to compete in the 2027 Ryder Cup. O'Neil insisted Tuesday that LIV remains a place where "golfers want to play," and he would like to see other tours accommodate the desire of LIV players to compete elsewhere on non-league event weeks.

"We are for golf. We always have been and we always will be," O'Neil said. "Our players, we commit them to 14 weeks. They come and play. They know exactly the weeks they're expected to play, they show up, and they play.

"If another tour is open for them to play, that's 14 weeks out of 52. That's 38 weeks. So if you want to see the best players in the world playing together more often, no problem, let's do it on the other 38 weeks. Like it's such a special opportunity.

"I feel like the opportunity, the chance, the gift we've been given here at LIV Golf is that we have players who will travel the world, and that is a gift to the game."

Despite O'Neil's stance, LIV Golf is expected to see several players pursue other options at the end of the 2026 season, likely with or without new funding. Whether Rahm wants to be among them is a moot point so long as he's under contract.

"As of right now, I'm not really thinking about it since we still have a season to play and majors to compete for," he said. "So, it's not something I want to think about just yet."

Rahm has the added complication that he's the captain of Legion XIII that also includes Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt and Tom McKibbin. He acknowledged that if LIV continues beyond this season, the business will likely look significantly different, including a reduction in the lucrative event purses.

"It's not just about me, it's a team effort," Rahm said. "It's not about one person agreeing or not. I think we all, as captains and team owners and players that are involved in the league, need to in essence have a large majority to agree on for it to work.

"I do believe that for the business plan to change, whatever they're coming up with, there will need to be some concessions on our part, yeah."

Surratt said that he's "bought in" and will support Rahm, while Hatton confirmed that he also has multiple years left on his contract. The Englishman signed with LIV along with Rahm, and was the league's lone player to be a factor at last month's Masters where he tied for third.

"It's not really a focus for me at the moment," Hatton said when asked about LIV's future. "Obviously focused on playing well this week, playing well the rest of the year, and seeing what happens."

Rahm admitted the news of the PIF ending its financial support of the league was "unexpected" after being told that LIV had several more years of backing. But he also added that he has enjoyed the experience.

"As the future of the league goes, I think that's obviously a question for the business people. We want to be here. It's been a lot of fun. I want to keep competing. I want to keep sharing some time with them," Rahm said.

"But only time will tell. Scott and his team have a lot of hard work to do, but obviously they're experienced in the area, and that's why they've been chosen to take this role."

--Field Level Media

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