Golfers who have joined LIV Golf have earned a substantial amount of money through their contracts, but they have also faced numerous challenges. The biggest contract LIV Golf ever handed out was a whopping $500 million, made with Jon Rahm. When he signed the deal, Rahm was World No. 3, down from No. 1 after his 2023 Masters win. Since then, he has fallen to 73 in the OWGR and faces career uncertainty amid likely unfavorable DP World Tour rulings.

Rahm’s ties with the DP World Tour continue to weaken. The 10-time tour winner recently told TenGolf he won’t play again until the LIV Golf Riyadh in 2026, the league’s season opener. As Flushing It noted on X, “Jon Rahm confirms to TenGolf that he will not play another event until LIV Golf Riyadh in 2026, meaning he won’t tee it up at the huge DP World Tour events that close out the Race to Dubai. It also means this will be his first winless individual season since 2016, the year he turned pro.”

The Spaniard has won 10 events on the DP World Tour and 11 on the PGA Tour from 2017 to 2023. In 2024, he had a good showing with a 4th place finish at the Olympic Games. But as far as 2025 is concerned, he remains winless. Though he was crowned as the LIV Golf individual champion for the second consecutive year in 2025, his performance on the DP World Tour seems to have dropped. Besides the four majors, Rahm has only participated in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the BMW PGA Championship, and the Spanish Open. But it’s not just about his form.

Rahm’s position on the DP World Tour remains uncertain. A while back, the DP World Tour imposed fines on golfers who joined LIV Golf and played in its tournaments during simultaneous events. In response, Rahm formally appealed by filing a lawsuit. Since he filed the appeal before the deadline in September 2024, he was eligible to participate in the 2025 Ryder Cup, just like Tyrrell Hatton. He was even part of the field for key DP World Tour events like the Spanish Open.

The DP World Tour noted the situation in a statement before attempting to resolve things. “Jon Rahm has a pending appeal against sanctions imposed on him and in accordance with the DP World Tour’s Regulations, he is eligible to participate in the (Spanish Open) later this month.”

Rahm and LIV Golf tried to resolve the issue before filing the appeal. “I don’t intend to pay the fines, and we keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen,” Rahm said during LIV Golf Chicago 2024. The Saudi-backed league has already paid approximately £12 million ($15.75 million) in fines to LIV golfers. So, they were willing to pay Rahm’s fines, too. But the DP World Tour rejected their proposal, forcing Rahm to formally appeal.

Rahm also faces the challenge of LIV Golf not covering fines from 2026, leaving players to pay their own to compete on the DP World Tour. This creates a difficult situation for him, with a lot riding on the ruling.

However, an unfavorable ruling seems likely, given that there is a similar antitrust lawsuit filed by LIV golfers. This includes six-time major winner Phil Mickelson against the PGA Tour in 2022, who alleged the tour conspired to punish LIV players. Unlike the DP World Tour, the PGA Tour went further by banning LIV golfers from events.

In September 2022, a federal judge denied the LIV Golf players’ request for a preliminary injunction to block their suspensions. Citing the large contracts, the court decided that no harm came to the plaintiffs. Moreover, the PGA Tour had the right to enforce its own rules. Since it was a similar lawsuit, Rahm is likely to face a ruling along the same lines.

Rahm’s situation underscores LIV Golf’s escalating tensions with both the DP World and PGA Tours, affecting not just him but the future of professional golf.

LIV Golf and the PGA Tour tensions on the rise

Since its debut in 2022, LIV Golf has drawn several top players with lucrative contracts, creating tensions with the PGA Tour. In response, the PGA Tour suspended players who participated in LIV events and boosted prize purses to retain talent.

Negotiations to reconcile or merge the tours had been ongoing for over 18 months but stalled in late 2024 and early 2025. Key figures involved included Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, and commissioner Jay Monahan, though the exact roles of each varied. In early 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice launched an antitrust investigation into the PGA Tour’s conduct toward LIV Golf, adding another layer of complexity to merger talks.

Despite public optimism and speculation among insiders that former President Donald Trump might play a role in a deal, discussions remain at a standstill. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour has implemented changes, including guaranteed payouts and increased prize money, to compete financially with LIV’s offers.

Amid this uncertainty, Jon Rahm’s future on the DP World Tour remains unclear. Currently, pending sanctions and eligibility questions affect his 2026 season. Fans and analysts will be watching closely to see if he can return to his prime form once the situation is resolved.