Current rules bar him from PGA Tour events until August next year

He declined the tour's 'Returning Member Program' earlier this year

European DP World Tour offers a path to competition in the interim

Jon Rahm tees off on the 18th hole during the final round of LIV Golf Indianapolis at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Indiana, in August. [Imagine Images]
Jon Rahm tees off on the 18th hole during the final round of LIV Golf Indianapolis at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Indiana, in August. [Imagine Images]

Jon Rahm of Spain appears increasingly likely to return to the PGA Tour after parting ways with LIV Golf — though a comeback will not happen immediately.

Rahm's attorney, John Beck, told a federal bankruptcy court hearing in New Jersey on Thursday (Korean Standard Time) that Rahm would not participate in LIV Golf's restructuring plan, known as "LIV 2.0."

Rahm found the terms offered to him "unacceptable," according to people familiar with the matter. He and LIV Golf are currently in negotiations to terminate his contract.

Rahm left the PGA Tour in December 2023 to join LIV Golf. As the 2023 Masters Tournament champion and one of the world's top-ranked players at the time, his defection was a symbolic moment in the talent war between the two tours.

About three years later, the situation has reversed. With LIV Golf now in bankruptcy protection, Rahm has decided not to join the restructured operation, putting his potential PGA Tour return in the spotlight.

The biggest obstacle is the PGA Tour's suspension rule. Players who competed in unsanctioned events are barred from PGA Tour events for one year from their last appearance. Rahm's final LIV start was at LIV Golf Indianapolis, which concluded Aug. 23. Under the current rule, he would be ineligible for PGA Tour events until late August 2027.

Jon Rahm puts away his club after a shot on the 10th hole during the second round of LIV Golf Indianapolis at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Indiana, in August. [AFP]
Jon Rahm puts away his club after a shot on the 10th hole during the second round of LIV Golf Indianapolis at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Indiana, in August. [AFP]

Another complicating factor is that Rahm declined a special reinstatement opportunity the PGA Tour offered earlier this year. In January, the tour launched a "Returning Member Program" to open a path back for some elite players who had left for LIV Golf. The program was a one-time measure available only in 2026, targeting players who had won a major or The Players Championship in recent years.

Brooks Koepka of the United States returned to the PGA Tour through the program, but Rahm — who was also eligible — chose not to. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rollapp has since said the tour has no current plans to run a similar program again.

Unless the PGA Tour creates a separate exception, Rahm will likely have to serve out his full suspension period.

That does not mean he will be shut out of competition entirely in the first half of next year. Rahm retains his DP World Tour membership and can compete on the European circuit. Major championships, including the Masters Tournament, operate under a separate eligibility framework from regular PGA Tour events, so he could still qualify for those through existing exemptions.

One plausible scenario has Rahm focusing on the DP World Tour and the majors in the first half of 2027, then pursuing a PGA Tour return in the second half once his suspension expires.


yjc@heraldcorp.com