Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia Could Leave LIV Golf as League Resets

If you think about it, the topic of who’s leaving LIV Golf this fall is already abundantly more interesting than who was joining the breakaway league ever was.

To catch everyone up: LIV Golf declared bankruptcy last month and has received an initial investment from its restructuring partner, part of a supposed $300 million injection over time. Players have until Oct. 25 to stay or go.

Jon Rahm is the biggest name so far -- though far from the only one -- to announce he won’t be a part of “LIV 2.0.” Sergio Garcia and others are beginning to follow suit now that the Saudi money has dried up and the league is going forward with what its CEO describes as “a ‘business’ business plan.”

It turns out the lighter competition schedule and the allure of year-round team golf and the mission to grow the game globally weren’t the strongest magnets drawing everyone to LIV after all.

But this piece doesn’t need to be a victory lap. After all, Rahm and his peers sort of make out like bandits. Many are owed a few million dollars by the league as it goes through bankruptcy court, and they may still get it, but isn’t that a drop in the bucket to former members of LIV?

Over these past few golf “offseasons,” there’d be a commotion every time a new player departed the PGA Tour for LIV. When Rahm left three years ago -- after the PGA/LIV “shock merger” that never actually happened -- many wondered how much it would tip the competitive scales. Turns out, the PGA Tour chugged along just fine; Rahm was the LIV individual champion each of the past three years while becoming less of a factor at the majors, where he’s had more missed cuts (two) than top-fives (one) since 2024.

Now, there is no open door waiting for Rahm and his ilk at PGA Tour headquarters. Brooks Koepka accepted a one-time offer to return at the start of 2026, paid a hefty fine and began grinding away on tour again.

That’s what makes these post-bankruptcy departures interesting: Where do Rahm and other top players spend 2027, and how does it set up the competitive landscape in seasons to come?

The answer lies in Europe, where the DP World Tour is more than happy to bring back ex-LIVers, and in fact was already letting them play if they paid their fines for having played in conflicting events (read: LIV events).

See Patrick Reed, who got out ahead of this a year early like Koepka. The PGA Tour looked at Reed and said, “Meh.” He didn’t qualify for the tour’s very narrow parameters meant only for the Koepkas, Rahms and Bryson DeChambeaus of the world to return. So Reed played the DP World Tour, where all he’s done is lead the entire tour in the Race to Dubai with a few weeks to go. He’s all but assured to finish among the top 10 players not otherwise exempt for the PGA Tour, earning him a card for 2027.

“I’ve always wanted to earn my spot rather than having a spot given,” Reed said. “Those guys on LIV, there are pathways to whether it’s to here on the DP (World Tour), whether it’s to the PGA Tour ... I feel like that’s the only way that you should be able to get back is by going out there and letting the clubs do the talking.”

Not only did Rahm’s representation make clear he has no interest in LIV 2.0, but various reports have said Cameron Smith has requested termination of his contract and DeChambeau, ever the LIV soldier, is at least considering playing more events in Europe next year.

At this time next year, American golf fans may have more interest than usual in following the end of the DP World Tour season. Imagine Rahm, Smith and even DeChambeau playing events like the Spanish Open and the Dunhill Links with a PGA Tour return on the line. It’d all be more gripping than who’s on top at LIV Golf Virginia.