Jon Rahm said he would accept the same financial penalties Brooks Koepka agreed to as part of a Jon Rahm PGA Tour return deal, months after walking away from LIV Golf. Rahm made the comments after quitting the Saudi-backed league, which is attempting to relaunch next year under new ownership.
“I seriously doubt I will get offered the same deals that Brooks did. But if I got offered exactly the same penalties as him, I probably would do it, yes,” Rahm said, according to Sky Sports.
Koepka’s Terms Set The Benchmark
Koepka returned to the PGA Tour through its Returning Member Program after agreeing to make a $5 million charitable donation and accepting a five-year exclusion from earning equity on the tour. That program was also offered to Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith at the start of 2026, but Rahm turned it down.
Instead, Rahm now faces a one-year suspension from the PGA Tour before he becomes eligible to win back his card, a path separate from the terms Koepka accepted. Rahm said he has not yet opened discussions with the tour about what an actual return would involve, leaving the Koepka comparison a stated preference rather than a confirmed offer.
Why Rahm Left LIV Golf
Rahm exited LIV Golf after deciding the terms of the league’s proposed relaunch were unacceptable to him. LIV Golf has been working through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund withdrew its backing, having put roughly $5 billion into the league over four years. The league is now attempting to relaunch with new financing from BC Partners Capital, according to The Independent.
Rahm pointed to LIV’s shift away from its team-golf identity as a key factor in his decision. “It seemed like it was going a bit away from team golf and some of the things that made LIV,” he said. He added that the format changes under what he called LIV 2.0 made the product feel diluted.
“As much as I liked the project and the idea on, let’s say, LIV 1.0, I wasn’t thrilled with the changes they were doing to 2.0 and I just wasn’t willing to follow that path,” Rahm said. He also said the revamped version “just kind of became more of a regular tournament,” adding “it wasn’t really ever much of a consideration.”
What Rahm Gave Up And Kept
Leaving LIV Golf required Rahm to give up all claims against the league’s bankruptcy estate, claims reportedly worth up to $150 million. In exchange, he retained control of the intellectual property and trademarks tied to his team, Legion XIII.
How This Fits The Broader PGA Tour-LIV Divide
Rahm’s stance adds another data point to how individual LIV defectors are negotiating their way back. Koepka’s return shows the tour will accept specific financial and equity concessions in exchange for reinstatement, and Rahm’s willingness to accept similar terms suggests he views that framework as a workable template even though he has not been offered it. The tour’s willingness to differentiate penalties between players, Koepka’s donation and equity exclusion versus Rahm’s suspension, shows there is no single standard path back for players who left for LIV.
What’s Next
Rahm said that if he has to serve the full one-year suspension, he considers it a tolerable outcome. “If I have to fulfil a one-year suspension, it’s a pretty good position to be in. Worst-case scenario, I get to play in a wonderful tour for a whole year,” he said, referring to the DP World Tour. Rahm has already said he plans to return to the DP World Tour in 2027, giving him a competitive home regardless of how any PGA Tour negotiations unfold.
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