Jon Rahm Forgoes $100 Million in LIV Golf Departure
Golfer Jon Rahm has agreed to a settlement that releases LIV Golf from all monetary claims, walking away from the remainder of his lucrative contract.
Jon Rahm has departed from LIV Golf, forgoing the remaining £75.5 million ($100 million) of his contract with the Saudi-backed tour. The decision comes after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it would cease funding the tour at the end of the 2026 season.
LIV Golf plans to rebrand and continue with new backers, the private equity group BC Partners, but Rahm will not participate in the tour's 2027 iteration. He and LIV have reached a "consensual separation agreement" that releases all of Rahm's monetary and economic claims against the league. Rahm had been LIV's largest unsecured creditor, owed £5.7 million of his contract after the tour filed for bankruptcy last month.
In exchange for releasing his financial claims, Rahm is expected to regain rights to his name, image, and likeness. This includes the potential return of his LIV tour nickname, "Rahmbo," and his team name, "Legion XIII."
The agreement's details are scheduled for judgment by US Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey Judge Michael B. Kaplan on November 5.
Rahm initially joined LIV Golf under a reported £258 million ($350 million) contract, spanning multiple years. His departure, alongside that of Tyrrell Hatton, follows LIV's bankruptcy filing in New Jersey. Other prominent golfers, including Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka, were also lured to LIV with significant contracts upon its launch in 2022. DeChambeau's deal is set to expire at the end of the 2026 season, with reports suggesting he may recommit in exchange for equity in the league.
The rebel golf circuit offered substantial prize money, with some tournaments featuring purses of up to $20 million. However, the PIF's withdrawal of funding earlier this year led to the cancellation of several events in 2026, impacting the tour's stability.