When LIV Golf launched, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm were exactly the kind of names the Saudi‑backed circuit needed to buy legitimacy – but rumours swirl that both could leave.
The two big hitters, major winners, lightning rods for attention have been stars of the LIV Golf show since signing up and leaving the PGA Tour behind.
Fast‑forward to spring 2026 and those same names are now being dragged into weekly speculation about LIV’s future with rumour over funding, format and even whether its biggest stars are secretly eyeing the exit door.
Could they leave? Technically, not tomorrow. But the ground under their feet is clearly moving.
Contract Reality vs Transfer‑Rumour Fantasy
For all the noise, the contractual picture is actually pretty straightforward: both DeChambeau and Rahm have said they are committed to LIV through the end of the 2026 season.
DeChambeau is reported to have signed a four‑year deal in 2022, believed to be worth in excess of $125m, running through 2026.
He has repeatedly stated he’ll play out this year and then “see what happens after that”, making it clear that 2026 is a natural decision point rather than an immediate escape hatch.
Rahm, who shocked the sport when he joined LIV in late 2023, has publicly said he is “not planning on going anywhere” and has already turned down a one‑time PGA Tour offer to return, at least for now.
So the idea that either man is about to suddenly jump mid‑season is, on the available evidence, fantasy. The more interesting question is whether they might walk when those contracts expire – and what the current swirl of rumours says about the LIV Golf project itself.
The Money Machine Is Sputtering – And That Changes Everything
When DeChambeau first signed, LIV looked like it had effectively unlimited cash behind it. Reports suggested he could leverage that into a renewal worth up to $500m, a staggering number that only made sense in a world where the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) viewed LIV as a blank‑cheque sportswashing vehicle.
That world has changed.
PIF has poured billions into LIV, but recent reporting around the fund’s losses and a new five‑year investment strategy has raised doubts about how aggressively it will continue bankrolling a niche golf property that struggles for TV ratings.
There are now claims LIV is actively seeking external investors to help cover costs, something that would have been unthinkable at launch and suggests the original economic model isn’t sustainable as‑is.
Against that backdrop, DeChambeau’s supposed $500m renewal demand looks less like strong negotiation and more like a bad fit for LIV’s current financial reality.
If you’re LIV, do you really want to double down for half a billion on a single player at the exact moment your finances are under scrutiny? If you’re DeChambeau, do you really want your name tied to a league that may be quietly tightening the belt?
This is why the rumours aren’t completely crazy – not because a move is imminent, but because the economic logic that lured these guys in has shifted.
DeChambeau: LIV’s Cheerleader In An Increasingly Awkward Spot
On the course, DeChambeau has been one of LIV’s flagship stars and most vocal defenders. Off the course, 2026 has been uncomfortable.
He’s already:
- Publicly complained about LIV’s shift to 72‑hole events, pointedly saying he “didn’t sign up to play 72 holes” and questioning why the format had changed from the original 54‑hole pitch that supposedly set LIV apart.
- Reiterated that he’s “got a contract for this year” and will reassess after 2026, while conspicuously refusing to commit to any future beyond that.
- Found himself at the centre of reports suggesting his renewal talks are contentious, with his $500m ask now seen as unrealistic given LIV’s funding situation.
From the outside, it looks like a star who still wants to believe in the project, but is increasingly frustrated by how it’s evolving – more like a standard tour, less like the disruptive, laid‑back product he thought he was joining.
Could he eventually leave? Absolutely. If LIV can’t or won’t meet his price, and if the PGA Tour-LIV politics thaw just as his contract expires, DeChambeau suddenly becomes one of the most valuable free agents in golf history.
But that’s a 2026/27 story, not a “this summer” story.
Jon Rahm: The Reluctant Spokesman For A League Under Siege
Rahm, meanwhile, has spent the Mexico City event batting away questions about whether LIV might actually shut down if PIF turns off the tap.
His response has been telling:
- He’s insisted that he’s paying “no attention whatsoever” to rumours about LIV’s demise, saying it “didn’t make sense” to waste time thinking about it while he’s trying to win tournaments.
- He’s argued that if there were genuine danger of the league collapsing, someone in LIV leadership would have called him, which he says hasn’t happened.
- He’s also emphasised how much he enjoys the team element with Legion XIII and the global schedule, with his squad leading the team leaderboard in Mexico and chasing a multi‑million pound prize.
Rahm’s tone is different to DeChambeau’s. There’s less frustration with format tweaks and more irritation at being turned into the unofficial spokesperson on whether his employer will exist in two years’ time.
But the underlying dynamic is the same: when your two‑time major champion is having to publicly reassure fans that the league is not about to evaporate, the stability you sold him on is clearly in doubt.
PGA Tour Olive Branches – And Why They Matter
The other driver of rumours is what’s happening outside LIV Golf.
Brooks Koepka has already stunned the game by taking up a one‑time opportunity to return to the PGA Tour, blowing up the myth that LIV is a one‑way street.
In response, the Tour created a Returning Member Program, effectively dangling a rope ladder back to the mainstream for a select group of defectors.
Crucially Rahm, DeChambeau and Cameron Smith reportedly turned down an early chance to follow Koepka, publicly committing to stay with LIV and honour their deals through 2026.
DeChambeau joked about exit‑door memes on social media but ultimately reiterated he’s “contracted through 2026”.
Rahm simply said: “I’m not planning on going anywhere”.
That decision to stay – for now – is exactly why the rumour mill has gone into overdrive. If the Tour is willing to re‑embrace stars who left, and if LIV’s funding questions persist, it’s hard not to look at the end of those contracts and see a potential floodgate.
Right now, though, both players have chosen security: guaranteed money, guaranteed starts, and the team ecosystem they signed up for.
Could They Leave LIV? Yes – But Not Like This
Strip away the noise and the picture looks like this:
In the short term (2026 season): DeChambeau and Rahm are staying put. They have contracts, they’ve said they’re honouring them, and there’s no credible reporting of imminent breach or buyout.
In the medium term (2027 and beyond): everything is on the table. DeChambeau’s deal is up, Rahm’s situation is less clear publicly, PIF’s priorities are shifting, and the PGA Tour has shown it will welcome certain LIV stars back under the right conditions.
For LIV as a project: the fact we’re even discussing exit scenarios for two of its pillars – while its own funding is questioned in mainstream outlets – is a worrying sign.
Could Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm leave LIV Golf? Eventually, yes.
In fact, unless LIV can both stabilise its finances and convince its biggest names that the product still matches the sales pitch, it would be more surprising if they didn’t at least explore their options when the ink dries on those contracts.
But rumours of a dramatic mid‑season escape are, at this stage, just that – rumours. The more compelling story is the slow drip of doubt: a league trying to prove it isn’t a short‑lived vanity project, and two megastars who may yet decide that long‑term legacy is better served back in the traditional ecosystem they walked away from.