Jon Rahm Declines PGA Tour Return, Leaves LIV Golf
The two-time major winner will spend 2027 playing on the DP World Tour after rejecting the PGA Tour's reinstatement terms.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Golf
Jon Rahm has quit LIV Golf and turned down the PGA Tour's Returning Member Program at the start of 2026, saying the proposed LIV Golf 2.0 terms were unacceptable. He plans to play on the DP World Tour in 2027.
Why it matters
Rahm's decision follows Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund withdrawing support from LIV Golf at the end of the 2025 season, leaving the league's future in question. His refusal to accept the terms offered to Brooks Koepka signals that reinstatement deals remain unsettled.
The Saudi PIF invested $5bn over four years in LIV Golf, and Rahm now faces a one-year PGA Tour suspension before he can win back his card. Whether he would accept the same penalties as Koepka if offered them has not been determined.
The players
Jon Rahm
A two-time major champion and former LIV Golf player who has now rejected the PGA Tour's reinstatement offer.
Brooks Koepka
A five-time major champion and the only player to accept the PGA Tour's Returning Member Program terms.
Public Investment Fund
The Saudi sovereign wealth fund that bankrolled LIV Golf before withdrawing its support at the end of the 2025 season.
The details
Rahm declined the PGA Tour's Returning Member Program offer, which was extended to Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka, with Koepka the only player to sign. He deemed the proposed LIV Golf 2.0 terms unacceptable and was unwilling to follow LIV's shift away from team golf.
Timeline
End of 2025 season: Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund withdrew support from LIV Golf.
Beginning of 2026: Rahm declined the PGA Tour Returning Member Program offer.
2027: Rahm is set to play on the DP World Tour.
Season Trajectory
Rahm's decision shows the PGA Tour's Returning Member Program has not drawn every LIV player back on the same terms, complicating the tour's efforts to reabsorb its rivals. The departure of Saudi PIF support leaves the LIV model's long-term viability uncertain.
Rahm's absence from PGA Tour events in 2027 removes a top player from the competitive field and from fantasy rosters tied to PGA Tour play. Fans following him will need to track his results on the DP World Tour instead.
The takeaway
Rahm's choice shows that a PGA Tour return is not automatic even when a reinstatement offer is on the table, and players weighing a comeback will need to decide whether the penalties and conditions are acceptable.
What happens next
Rahm is scheduled to begin his DP World Tour season at the Abu Dhabi Championship, which starts Thursday.
Further reading
For broader context on the tour rivalry, see Golf coverage.
