While LIV Golf continues to maintain that its future is extremely bright after losing funding from its Saudi government benefactors, the challenges to survive are only increasing. Even the announcement that LIV had landed a new lead investor that would appear to provide a lifeline for the rebel golf league has been met with more questions than answers.
This week, it was reported that players were told that the season-ending team event in Michigan would indeed be canceled. This had been rumored for some time, going back to Martin Kaymer’s public comments that it was most likely not going to happen. But to show you how discombobulated LIV Golf is at the moment, the event is still listed on the LIV Golf schedule even though it says tickets are not available.
But forget future funding, honoring contracts, schedules, and purses. There is no LIV Golf tour without its star players. And that is where the DP World Tour has struck with a calculated move that could see LIV’s house of cards finally collapse.
After striking a deal to allow players to supplement their LIV schedules with events on the European circuit in 2026, the DP World Tour has now said that the same offer will not be extended for the 2027 season. The Athletic reported that the DP World Tour has informed LIV Golfers that it will once again impose fines and penalties for players who choose to continue with LIV. At the heart of the issue is the equity promised to players who stick with LIV, presumably as a potential make-good for the massive paydays promised by the Saudis falling well short.
This move comes after LIV lost its feeder system with the Asian Tour aligning with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour. The PGA Tour still has suspensions in place for those who left, welcoming back Brooks Koepka after he agreed to submit to several prerequisites to rejoin.
The biggest issue facing LIV Golf right now is whether it can offer its players enough tournaments. With a smaller planned schedule for 2027 and no Asian Tour or DP World Tour, where are players going to play for most of the season? With LIV facing such an uncertain future, the top stars may decide that now is the time to jump ship to preserve their competitive futures.
Like Jon Rahm.
Following the DP World Tour news, the Telegraph reports that LIV fears its biggest star, Jon Rahm, may quit. Rahm is still reportedly at least $100 million from his original Saudi contract and is weighing the possibility of turning his back on the rebel circuit that he controversially joined in 2024. Since then, Rahm has dominated LIV, but he’s failed to win another major after his 2023 Masters victory.
If LIV Golf can only offer ten tournaments, it’s obvious that Rahm and other top golfers would be woefully unprepared for the major season. There’s also the possibility that they could be barred from playing future Ryder Cups.
If Jon Rahm were to leave, then suddenly LIV Golf becomes a much less attractive property to whatever investor has held interest in providing funding. And if Rahm leaves, the prospect of holding equity in a rapidly failing league won’t hold much sway for players either. If the hits keep coming, all that may be left is Bryson DeChambeau and his YouTube channel.
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