LIV Golf 2.0 was supposed to have a strong launchpad built on its best players. The new investors planned to offer them equity in the league, a pitch that only works if the marquee names stay. But stars chose to leave one after another. Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, was released from his contract a week earlier, and Jon Rahm‘s exit came hot on its heels a day later. Now PGA Tour player Collin Morikawa has weighed in with a dual perspective on what those players are facing. One of his opinions stresses how rare second chances can be in the sport.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Speaking to AFP on the situation in Japan, Morikawa added, “It’s a business decision. It’s a decision that a lot of guys aren’t going to take lightly.”
He also added he did not know where Rahm would play in the future. “You don’t get many second chances in life. I don’t know if this is a second chance.”
“I don’t know what opportunities they’re going to have, but at the same time, I think you’re going to see a lot of them play on the DP World Tour. I don’t know about the top guys, but you’re going to see a lot of them potentially go over there. It’s going to strengthen world golf.”
Morikawa added his sharp take a day after Rahm’s exit became public. So his words carry a caution, perhaps remaining for LIV players too. As for his comment about ‘business decision,’ well, it isn’t without precedent. For context, Rahm’s lawyer, John Beck, told a New Jersey bankruptcy court on Wednesday that Rahm had reviewed the proposed terms of LIV 2.0 and had found them “unacceptable.” For the same reason, the Spaniard “will not be participating going forward in LIV 2.0.”
Currently, the two sides are advancing talks on a consensual separation. Jon Rahm is said to be owed up to $150 million from the deal he signed in late 2023. Beck also said Rahm intends to pursue the matter legally if no agreement is reached. Now, unlike Garcia, Rahm was not granted a court-ordered release, so this was an exit on his own terms. Reasonably, it’s a business and financial calculation, taken by the players, as LIV 2.0 tries to find a footing amidst lawsuits and bankruptcy.
While Jon Rahm’s decision was a long-impending one, it isn’t easy. More so, as it leaves Rahm with a big decision to make in professional golf. When the PGA Tour offered a one-time returning route in January, Rahm, alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, decided to stay in LIV. Only Brooks Koepka’s return was the exception, but he had to pay financial penalties and still is trying to earn his way back into signature events. Certainly, “second chances” are rare, and when they do, they come with conditions.
Notably, Morikawa’s stance on LIV has seen a change over time. In 2022, he was insistent on staying on the PGA Tour. Then, ahead of the 2024 Masters, with Rahm defending his green jacket as a LIV player, Morikawa said a return might happen “at some point,” while noting there would be consequences. But now he hopes everyone can move past the divide. He is still speaking from the PGA Tour side, though, and the message is clear: whoever leaves LIV should not expect the door to be easily opened. It also explains why Morikawa points to the DP World Tour. For most LIV players, it is the most realistic route back to top-level golf. Sergio Garcia, for example, has reportedly made it his priority for 2027.
That being said, Jon Rahm’s exit has high stakes for LIV 2.0, as it already had little star power to spare. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed were some of the notable names who had already left the league, with Sergio Garcia now joining them. In fact, Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, and Adrian Meronk are all uncertain. That leaves Bryson DeChambeau as the biggest name tied to the league’s future, although that remains highly uncertain too.
But apart from “top guys,” where does the situation leave other LIV players? Well, in a far more uncertain position. The Open, for instance, has left its LIV exemption under review for 2027, and it leaves them with no guaranteed return to that major.
Ultimately, the big names have already walked out, and the rest of LIV is now starting the same question. Morikawa’s message makes it clear. This is a business call with no way back. Whoever stays or goes will have to get the timing right, because second chances are not guaranteed.