Playing the 2026 Cadillac Championship, Jordan Spieth had heard and read everything that was going on at LIV Golf. He confessed that he didn’t have any special inside story. But he did have an opinion, and that might sound promising to Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, & Co.

“I’m not sure if it should be the same for everyone,” Spieth told the media. He added, “I know olive branches were given out, you know, a couple of months ago. Brooks took ’em up on it. So I’m not sure what would now change. Obviously, with it—and I don’t even know—that doesn’t necessarily mean that LIV’s not going to still move on, too. I think there are just too many unknowns for me to have a good gauge on what would happen there.”

DeChambeau and Rahm were allowed to return, alongside Brooks Koepka, under the Returning Member Program. However, both the LIV Golf team captains decided against it. Going forward, if LIV Golf splits, will they get the same option, or will Brian Rolapp open other doors? That’s what the three-time major winner questioned.

“But I think, if there’s a system for Brooks and a system for Patrick Reed, does that stay the same for guys in the same category as those two coming back, or does it change now? Does it change for guys who sued and dropped their membership? There’s just a lot of different things that happened over the last four years for that. I’m kind of glad I’m not in that room, and I trust the guys that are in that room to make the right decision.”

Patrick Reed was given an alternate route to return by completing the year’s suspension. While he gladly accepted it, stars like Rahm and DeChambeau might not be as eager to do so. But then there is the situation of the 11 players who sued the PGA Tour.

The likes of Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter, & nine other players filed a lawsuit against Jay Monahan’s PGA Tour for not allowing them to play in the FedEx Cup Playoffs in 2022. That didn’t result in anything except bitter conflicts. DeChambeau was also a part of the 11. But considering his status, he might not get treated the same way as others.

That said, it all boils down to what options Rolapp wants to give these players. There are some recommendations I made in our exclusive column on EssentiallySports. But whether any of them will be put to action depends on whether LIV Golf ceases to exist. And judging by a few other reports coming from them, they might be able to sustain.

Is this the end of LIV Golf?

With PIF pulling the plug, it may seem like LIV Golf is certainly dying. There were rumors that they would stay around till the end of the season. But they confirmed that they will stop the funding immediately. However, other partners haven’t stopped trusting the product yet.

Just a few hours ago, Sony Pictures Networks India signed a huge deal with LIV Golf. They will broadcast LIV Golf events in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and the Maldives. The network will cover every LIV Golf event in 2026 across all these nations live.

LIV Golf has also earned the trust of multiple venue partners like the hosts for Andalucia, South Africa, and Mexico. They have confirmed the return of the league to the 2027 calendar, and one of them has also promised to extend their contract with LIV Golf.