Jon Rahm finally explained why he said no to LIV 2.0, and his answer was a lot plainer than I expected. Speaking Tuesday ahead of his DP World Tour return at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, the two-time major winner said joining the relaunched league "wasn't really ever much of a consideration to be honest." I read his press conference coverage over coffee here in Alabama this morning, and it's the clearest look we've had at how one of LIV's biggest stars thinks about leaving.
Here's what Rahm said about LIV 2.0, what his week in Abu Dhabi looks like, where things stand with the PGA Tour, and one lesson I'm taking for my own game.
Why Jon Rahm Rejected LIV 2.0
Rahm didn't trash LIV. He started by calling his three years there a good run. According to Golf Monthly, he said: "Well, I would say I can only reflect on those three years as a positive. It was a wonderful experience. Played a lot of good golf. Obviously individually and as a team, we did great."
Then he got to the real reason. He liked the original idea, but not where it was headed:
"As much as I liked the project and the idea on, let's say, LIV 1.0, I wasn't thrilled with the changes they were doing to 2.0 and I just wasn't willing to follow that path, right. It wasn't anything special, anything that stood out. I just, yeah, I didn't like what they were doing with 2.0."
The part that stuck with me came next. Rahm said the new version was drifting away from the thing that made LIV different in the first place:
"Too many unknowns at the time and there are still quite a few. It seemed like it was going away from team golf and some of the things that made LIV, LIV. It just became more of a regular tour. So yeah, it wasn't really ever much of a consideration to be honest."
That's a pretty simple argument. If LIV 2.0 is basically another regular tour, then for a player like Rahm, there are already established tours that do that. According to Golf Monthly, Rahm said very few details had been nailed down before last week's player-commitment deadline, which fits his "too many unknowns" line.
Rahm's DP World Tour Return in Abu Dhabi
This week is Rahm's first official DP World Tour start since he announced last month that he was leaving LIV. The Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links is the opening event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs, and Golf Monthly describes it as a $9 million Rolex Series event. The DP World Tour's own account noted it's also Rahm's first time playing this tournament.
There's real pressure on the week, too. Rahm comes in 51st on the Race to Dubai. Both Golf Monthly and The National report he needs to move into the top 50 to play next week's season finale in Dubai. The National lists his Thursday tee time as 9:01 a.m. alongside Matt Wallace and Ewen Ferguson.
He isn't arriving sharp, and he said so. RTÉ reports that Rahm missed the Open de España for the first time in his career because his wife, Kelley, was expecting their daughter. He said he hadn't been able to practice much and, after a long flight, described his game this way: "let's use the word 'rusty'… it's an understatement."
What 2027 Looks Like: DP World Tour First
The biggest practical news is that Rahm hasn't talked to the PGA Tour yet. His words, via Golf Monthly and The National:
"So I have yet to have a discussion with the PGA Tour to see if there's any path back for next year. So I don't know, as of right now. Until I get clarity on that, yeah, my plan would be to spend the year on the DP World Tour, and I'm looking forward to it."
He also made it clear he isn't treating Europe as a waiting room. "I will be supporting the Tour, for sure, and even if I get to go and play PGA Tour events, I'll still play European Tour events, as well," he said.
He called a year in Europe his fallback, and he didn't sound upset about it: "But if I have to fulfill a one-year suspension, I think it's a pretty good position to be that a worst-case scenario I get to play on a wonderful tour for a whole year." The National reports that the automatic one-year ban from regular-season PGA Tour events would keep him out until the end of August 2027.
 |
| Rahm's key dates after LIV, from this week in Abu Dhabi to 2027. |
Would Jon Rahm Take the Brooks Koepka Deal Now?
This was the most interesting answer of the day for me. Golf Channel reports that last year Rahm was one of four LIV players offered a spot in the PGA Tour's returning member program. The terms included a $5 million fine, no equity shares for five years, and no direct access to signature events or FedExCup bonus money. Brooks Koepka was the only one who said yes.
 |
| The returning member terms Brooks Koepka accepted last year. |
Asked whether he'd take that same deal now, Rahm said: "Most likely, yeah. Why not? Yeah, but it's a big if. I seriously doubt I get offered the same deal that Brooks did." Golf Monthly adds that PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has said returning LIV players won't get the same offer Koepka received. So for now, the DP World Tour plan looks like the real plan.
Where LIV Golf Stands This Week
Rahm isn't the only one leaving. Sergio Garcia confirmed last week that he's leaving LIV and returning to the DP World Tour in 2027, which I covered when it happened. The National notes that Rahm's former LIV teammate Tyrrell Hatton has also left. GolfMagic, citing a social media report, says Bubba Watson is leaning toward leaving too. That's still just a report, and Watson hasn't announced anything.
On the other side, Golfweek reported Monday that Bryson DeChambeau indicated he plans to stay with LIV.
The bigger question is still open. Insider Sport reported Monday that no outcome had been announced from the October 30 deadline that LIV's main creditor, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, set for deciding whether the restructuring continues. The next date to watch is Thursday, November 5. That's when a New Jersey bankruptcy judge is scheduled to consider Rahm's separation agreement with LIV, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern (10:30 a.m. Central), according to the court notice. AP reports the agreement says Rahm owes no further service or performance obligations under any LIV contract.
What Amateur Golfers Can Learn From Jon Rahm's Decision
I'm a mid-handicapper who plays RTJ Grand National with a bag of mostly used clubs, so the money side of this doesn't touch me. But two things Rahm said are useful for regular golfers.
 |
| Plan a worst case you can live with, like a layup to your favorite wedge yardage. |
1. Plan your "worst case" so it's still a good day. Rahm's whole 2027 is built around a fallback he's happy with. A full year on the DP World Tour is his worst case, and he called it "a pretty good position." I can do the same thing on the course. Before a tough hole, I pick the play I'd be fine with if things go wrong, like a layup to my favorite wedge yardage or the fat part of the green. Then I go for more only if that safe play is still available. Most of my big numbers come from shots where the worst case was a lost ball.
2. Be honest when you're rusty. One of the best players in the world showed up and called his game "rusty" before he hit a shot. That's a good reminder for me. When I've missed a couple of weekends, I shouldn't expect my best swing on the first tee. My plan after a layoff is simple and free: get to the course 20 minutes early, spend most of it chipping and putting, aim for the middle of greens, and judge the round by how few doubles I make instead of my total score.
The Bottom Line
Jon Rahm's LIV 2.0 decision came down to one idea: it stopped looking like the team golf he signed up for and started looking like "a regular tour." Now he starts over at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, 51st on the Race to Dubai, with no PGA Tour talks yet and a full DP World Tour season as his fallback. I'll be watching his Thursday round and Thursday's court hearing, and I'll update you when there's real news.
No comments:
Post a Comment