Jon Rahm won’t be making a return to the PGA Tour like Brooks Koepka, opting to stay with LIV Golf. Jon Rahm has reportedly declined an offer to return to the PGA Tour under its new Returning Member Program, which places heavy restrictions and penalties on players coming back from LIV Golf.
Jon Rahm won’t be making a return to the PGA Tour like Brooks Koepka, opting to stay with LIV Golf.
Jon Rahm has reportedly declined an offer to return to the PGA Tour under its new Returning Member Program, which places heavy restrictions and penalties on players coming back from LIV Golf.
The 31-year-old Spaniard was one of four players eligible under the program, along with Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith.
PGA Tour’s return penalties put Jon Rahm off returning
According to TenGolf, Jon Rahm has no intention of accepting the one-time deal and will instead start the 2026 LIV Golf season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program, approved by the board earlier this month, is meant to give a narrow pathway back for select players while enforcing what CEO Brian Rolapp called “accountability measures.”
Only those who have won a major or the Players Championship since 2022 are eligible, and the offer expires on 2 February – just two days before LIV’s new season begins.
Under the terms, any returning player must make a $5 million charitable contribution and will be ineligible for equity grants in the PGA Tour for five years.
They’ll also lose access to FedEx Cup bonus money for the 2026 season and be barred from receiving sponsor exemptions into the Tour’s $20 million signature events.
The PGA Tour estimates that for someone of Koepka or Rahm’s stature, these penalties could add up to a loss of between $50 million and $85 million over five years.
Despite having said in the past that he misses certain PGA Tour events, like the WM Phoenix Open, Rahm seems content to stay with LIV.
Jon Rahm’s LIV future clear as PGA Tour window closes
TenGolf reports that Rahm is “fully focused” on LIV Golf’s 2026 season, which starts in early February. The league, now in its fourth year, continues to build momentum despite ongoing discussions about how the two tours might coexist in the future.
Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith – the other two players eligible for the return program – are also not expected to accept the offer.
DeChambeau’s current LIV deal runs until 2026, while Smith has said he is happy staying in Australia with his family.
The PGA Tour’s limited reinstatement window closes next month, after which the current offer will expire with no promise of another chance.
For now, Rahm’s decision underlines both his commitment to LIV Golf and the high cost of returning for those who left the traditional circuit.
Read More: Brooks Koepka admits $85 million PGA Tour return punishment ‘is meant to hurt’
Category: General Sports
