Jon Rahm will not be part of LIV 2.0, the planned relaunch of the bankrupt LIV Golf league, after his lawyer told a US bankruptcy court that the Spaniard had looked at the proposed terms and turned them down.
John Beck, acting for Rahm, told a hearing in New Jersey on Wednesday, US time, that his client had “independently reviewed the terms of LIV 2.0 and determined those terms are unacceptable as to him”, according to BBC Sport. Golf Digest also reported that Rahm will not take part in the relaunched league.
The announcement takes a two-time major winner out of the league’s plans, and it came at a hearing where lawyers for other players, Australia’s Cameron Smith among them, were asking the court where their own clients stand.
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What Was Said in Court
Beck’s statement was made in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings that LIV began in the United States in September. Rahm and LIV are now negotiating a separation agreement, both BBC Sport and Golf Digest reported, with BBC Sport describing the talks as advanced. No date for an agreement has been confirmed.
Long player contracts are being renegotiated well beyond golf. In the AFL last month, Zak Butters nominated the Western Bulldogs as Port Adelaide weighed a nine-year deal.
Rahm also has money at stake in the case. He sits at the top of the list of unsecured claims lodged by players, at US$7.5 million, BBC Sport reported.
He is not the only big name whose place in the league has changed. The hearing approved a deal allowing Sergio Garcia’s contract to be terminated, according to BBC Sport.
The Money Behind the Relaunch
Rahm’s decision lands while LIV is trying to secure two things at once for 2027: the money to run a season, and the players to sign up for it.
LIV filed for bankruptcy protection after Saudi Arabia withdrew its funding, BBC Sport reported. The plan to keep the league going depends on new money.
BC Partners Credit has offered up to US$300 million in financing to carry LIV into the 2027 season. That offer is subject to the court’s approval.
Players have until 25 October to sign up for LIV 2.0, according to BBC Sport.
The lender’s chief had sounded relaxed about sign-ups the day before the hearing. Ted Goldthorpe, head of BC Partners Credit, told BBC Sport: “I’m not that worried, I’m honestly not that worried about it.”
Rahm’s Record With LIV
Rahm, 31, joined LIV in December 2023. He arrived as a two-time major winner, with the 2021 US Open and the 2023 Masters already to his name.
He then won the LIV season title in each of his three years with the league, BBC Sport and Golf Digest reported. If the relaunch goes ahead, LIV will start it without the player who has won its season title every year since he joined.
The Australians Waiting on Answers
Rahm’s position is now clear, but others in the field are still waiting to find out where they stand.
Lawyers for several players, including American Bryson DeChambeau and Australia’s Cameron Smith, asked the court to clarify whether their clients are free to talk to other tours and to sponsors, BBC Sport reported.
That question will go to a further hearing on 14 October, according to BBC Sport. The hearing falls before the 25 October deadline for players to commit to LIV 2.0. For Smith, as for DeChambeau, the answer will decide whether each can open talks with other tours and sponsors while the league’s future is worked out in court.
Where Rahm Plays Next
Rahm has not announced where he will play next, and his separation agreement with LIV was still being negotiated when the hearing closed.
The court still has to approve the BC Partners financing before LIV can take its relaunch into 2027. The next fixed dates are the 14 October hearing on what the other players may do, and the 25 October deadline for signing up to LIV 2.0.
Sources: BBC Sport, “LIV Golf: Jon Rahm to leave league over ‘unacceptable’ terms for LIV 2.0”, 7 October 2026 (https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/articles/c65yngj00477o); Golf Digest, “Jon Rahm to leave LIV Golf, dealing huge blow to the league’s future”, 8 October 2026 (https://www.australiangolfdigest.com.au/jon-rahm-liv-golf-leaves-out-2026/)
Photo: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Jon Rahm at the 2025 Ryder Cup in September 2025, when he played for Europe.
