And to think, the week started off so well for LIV enthusiasts (who are an admittedly scarce, diminishing group). LIV has been on the ropes ever since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund pulled the plug on its years of multi-billionaire dollar funding.
LIV CEO Scott O’Neill has been working frantically behind the scenes to find alternative funding, moving like some desperate Game of Thrones character looking to secure the fealty of other houses. And he got some good news on Monday, as the LIV Golf League officially entered into a restructuring agreement with BC Partners that could open $300 million of funding (which is great when you owe upwards of $50 mil to players alone). So, cue the champagne showers (or nice cheese boards at the very least).
Rahm news shocks LIV to core
Any lingering positivity generated by that announcement was extinguished on Wednesday, as news came out that Jon Rahm- who alongside Bryson is one of the de facto faces of the brand- is pulling out of the entire LIV experiment. His lawyers stated he was unhappy with the new proposals for LIV 2.0, which has moved towards a scaled-back, player equity model in a last-ditch attempt to keep the rest of the players from jumping ship. The three-time LIV individual champ found those terms unacceptable and is currently involved in settlement proceedings for the $150 million owed to him for the remainder of his contract.
Rahm hunting greatness
I don’t personally think that Rahm’s decision had much to do with reparations or the proposed changes to the LIV schedule. The likes of Rahm and DeChambeau are treated like gods on that breakaway tour and have enjoyed the fruits of their labour. I think Rahm is growing concerned about his place in the history books. When he joined LIV in late 2023, he was a two-time major champ. He remains a two-time major champ. Aggregate tracking metrics show that the LIV players have experienced significant drops in major wins, top-10 finishes and average finish positions. In the three years preceding LIV, Rahm won two majors and picked up a further three top-5 finishes. He only has one top-5 finish in the three years since joining Norman and his merry band of defectors. He had a chance to win at Aronimink this year but was otherwise a non-entity in the majors.
Bryson struggles underline broader issues of competitiveness
I wonder if Rahm also took stock of Bryson’s fortunes. For some time, Bryson was the one man who kept the LIV tour relevant on the major stage, picking up six top-10 finishes in 2024 and 2025. But he endured a disastrous time on this year’s major roster, missing the cut in three successive majors for the first time in his career. The truth was just becoming increasingly apparent: the lack of hardnosed competition in LIV Golf was diminishing these player’s abilities to win major championships.
Meronk departure is even more disturbing
In many ways, it wasn’t that surprising to see Rahm jump ship. He wants to remain relevant at the top level of the game and already has millions in LIV bullion. Adrian Meronk’s decision to cut ties with the LIV Tour is a more brutal representation of the trajectory of things. Meronk is one of the mid-level grunts who makes up the body of the LIV Tour. He won LIV Riyadh last year but has never finished inside the top 15 of the individual standings. Meronk just won the recent Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which helped him secure a 5th DP World Tour title and exemption to play on the tour till 2028. Boom. At the very first hint of a getaway option, a mid-level LIV operator like Meronk thought it was time to jump ship.
Every man for himself
In keeping with the ship analogy, the LIV Tour is going down like the Titanic. Everybody is looking for an escape route by there may not be enough boats to carry them. The First-Class passengers (Rahm, Koepka, etc), will always be able to finagle their way back into the party due to their significant accomplishments: they have value to add to the traditional tours. The Second-Class operators- like Meronk- will need to use opportunities like the Alfred Dunhill victory to make their move. The Third-Class guys, who have less to offer the other tours, may go down with the ship and end up in the golfing wilderness. Hey, if you live like an outlaw, you must accept the consequences.
