Jon Rahm’s future with LIV Golf remains unsettled after the league entered bankruptcy protection and began reshaping its plans for 2027. Rahm has said he is willing to honor his existing LIV 1.0 contract, but he has not committed to the proposed new structure. Bryson DeChambeau has taken a different public approach.
His “I’m coming home” tease appeared to signal a major career move before his announcement centered on a new golf entertainment project. The contrasting messages have added another layer to LIV’s uncertain next chapter. Both major champions remain tied to the league, while Rahm has publicly left his 2027 position open and DeChambeau has used his recent public messaging to promote a separate content project.
Rahm is leaving the 2027 question open
Rahm addressed his future in September while playing the DP World Tour’s Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship. Asked about LIV’s next phase, he said there were many things in motion and that “time will tell,” making clear that he had not committed to LIV 2.0.
Rahm’s comments came after LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 8. The restructuring followed Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund saying it would stop funding the league after 2026, leaving LIV seeking new investment and a smaller operating model.
The 31-year-old has emphasized his current contractual position. Rahm said he has a contract with “LIV 1.0” that he is “more than willing to fulfill,” while declining to say whether he wants a route back to the PGA Tour if the existing structure changes.
LIV’s new structure changes the equation
LIV’s proposed future is substantially different from the model that attracted stars with enormous contracts and large purses. The reorganization envisions a smaller operation with fewer events and a stronger focus on team competition as the league attempts to continue beyond 2026.
The Chapter 11 filing showed the financial pressure facing the circuit. LIV reported assets between $100 million and $500 million and liabilities between $500 million and $1 billion, with several prominent players among its creditors due to unpaid contractual amounts.
Rahm is one of those creditors, with the filing listing a claim of roughly $7.5 million. His existing contractual obligations and the proposed terms of a future LIV operation are not necessarily the same issue.
DeChambeau’s path looks different
DeChambeau’s situation has developed along a different track. After joining LIV in 2022, he became one of its biggest stars and captains Crushers GC, but his future has also been affected by the league’s restructuring.
His recent social-media tease briefly appeared to point toward a career announcement. DeChambeau wrote “I’m coming home,” prompting speculation that he could be preparing to return to the PGA Tour while LIV navigated bankruptcy.
The reveal on Sept. 21 had nothing to do with a tour switch. DeChambeau announced “Bryson’s Backyard Games,” a YouTube competition featuring 10 golfers, with the final player facing him in a three-hole match for $100,000.
Fun fact: Bryson DeChambeau became only the fifth golfer to win both the NCAA individual championship and U.S. Amateur in the same year, doing so in 2015.
The PGA Tour option is complicated
A return to the PGA Tour is not currently a simple open door for either player. PGA Tour Commissioner Brian Rolapp said in September that the Tour was not planning a new returning-member program for LIV golfers, following the limited process that allowed Brooks Koepka to return earlier in 2026.
That matters because Rahm and DeChambeau joined LIV under different circumstances from players who later returned. Rahm has repeatedly pointed to his existing contract, while DeChambeau’s public activity has increasingly highlighted his media and content business alongside his professional golf career.
The DP World Tour also remains relevant, particularly for Rahm. He reached an agreement earlier in 2026 that allowed him to play its events without the sanctions tied to his previous LIV participation, including a commitment to play five non-major DP World Tour events.
Their golf remains part of the bigger picture
Rahm entered the closing stages of 2026 after winning his third straight LIV individual championship. LIV’s season records show he finished first in the standings again, while DeChambeau finished second after producing two individual victories.
DeChambeau’s 2026 campaign included wins in Singapore and South Africa, while Rahm collected individual victories in Hong Kong and Mexico City. Their results kept both players central to LIV’s competitive story even as its business model changed.
Their major-championship schedules also kept them visible outside LIV. Rahm and DeChambeau remained eligible for the majors through existing exemptions and qualifying routes, although LIV affiliation continued to limit access to PGA Tour events.
LIV’s future is still being negotiated
LIV’s bankruptcy does not mean the league has immediately ceased operations. The organization has been pursuing a restructuring plan backed by new investment, while the court process and player decisions will determine how much of the existing model survives into 2027.
That uncertainty explains the difference in public messaging from its biggest names. Rahm has focused on fulfilling the existing contract while refusing to commit to a future structure, whereas DeChambeau has continued to build a separate entertainment and content platform.
For now, neither golfer has formally announced a move away from LIV for 2027. Rahm’s “time will tell” position and DeChambeau’s clarification that his “coming home” tease referred to a YouTube project leave the larger question open as LIV works through its restructuring.
TL;DR
- Jon Rahm has not committed to LIV’s proposed 2027 structure but says he is willing to fulfill his existing LIV 1.0 contract.
- LIV Golf filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund said it would stop funding the league after 2026.
- Bryson DeChambeau’s “I’m coming home” tease sparked PGA Tour return speculation but was tied to his new Backyard Games project.
- The PGA Tour currently has no planned returning-member program for LIV golfers.
- Both players remain central figures as LIV negotiates its next phase.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
