Jon Rahm has accused the DP World Tour of extortion. Now, they may be his only hope.
Though LIV Golf is desperately seeking to save itself in the wake of Saudi Arabia pulling its billions in funding, the end seems to be near, the NY Post reports.
And the PGA Tour may not be welcoming its former stars back with open arms.
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While Golf Digest reports that a path back to the PGA Tour will exist for LIV players, it won’t be through the Returning Member Program that allowed Brooks Koepka to return.
“The situation is different now,” a source told Golf Digest.
Rahm, 31, joined LIV Golf in late 2023 on a reported A$416 million contract after previously publicly shooting down rumours linking him to the move.
The two-time major champion has desired to continue playing DP World Tour events while remaining with LIV Golf, something he needs to do to be Ryder Cup eligible.
But the DP World Tour wants him to play in six events and dictate two of those events.
“I don’t know what game they’re trying to play right now, but it just seems like in a way they’re using our impact in tournaments and fining us and trying to benefit both ways from what we have to offer,” Rahm said in March.
“[It’s] just in a way they’re extorting players like [me] and young players that have nothing to do with the politics of the game.
“So, I don’t like the situation and I’m not going to agree to that.”
But Rahm may have no choice but to agree to whatever the DP World Tour wants if LIV Golf goes under.
Rahm bolting for LIV came several months after LIV and the PGA Tour announced a framework agreement to join forces that never ended up materialising.
When Rahm made the move, the PGA Tour was “caught flat-footed,” per Golf Digest.
Rahm, along Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith, then had the opportunity to take the same path back that Koepka did — and opted not to follow through.
“We’re interested in having the best players who can help our tour,” PGA CEO Brian Rolapp told The Wall Street Journal. “Not every player can do that.”
While Rahm certainly fits that definition, lingering resentment could make the process painful.
Players who joined the antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, like Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson, will face “additional scrutiny,” the report said.
US President Donald Trump, speaking at the Oval Office in Washington, was asked if the PGA Tour should welcome back golfers who jumped ship to LIV, lured by massive contracts backed by PIF.
Those who defected lost their US tour membership.
“I’d love to see LIV. But I do believe that all of the golfers should be playing — the great golfers — should be playing against each other,” he said.
“I want to see Rory (McIlroy, who just won the Masters) playing Bryson DeChambeau. I want to see big Jon Rahm play Scottie (Scheffler), who is so great.
“There’s something nice about all of the players playing together. Now they’ll all be accepted by the tour … they’ll all be back on tour and it’ll be great,” Trump said.
However, Trump noted that even with the coming loss of Saudi backing LIV is still operational.
LIV this week postponed a scheduled June tournament in New Orleans with officials saying they hoped to reschedule for later this year.
LIV’s next scheduled event is set for May 7-10 at Trump National in suburban Washington.
“I’m not sure what’s happening with LIV, but they are playing at my course in two weeks, on the Potomac,” Trump said.
This article originally appeared in the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.
