Jon Rahm is quitting LIV Golf due to “unacceptable” terms, the star’s lawyer said on Wednesday, dealing a significant blow to the divisive breakaway tour as it attempts to relaunch itself after declaring bankruptcy.
Along with Bryson DeChambeau, double major winner and former world number one Rahm was arguably the most prominent golfer to defect from the PGA Tour and join the free-spending Saudi-backed league.
But LIV filed for bankruptcy protection last month after its deep-pocketed Middle Eastern backers pulled the plug.
The tour is trying to relaunch next year with new investors as “LIV 2.0”.
Retaining popular stars like Rahm was widely seen as critical to its prospects.
“Mr. Rahm has independently reviewed the proposed terms of LIV 2.0, as the parties have been referring to it, and has determined that those terms are unacceptable to him, and he will not be participating going forward in LIV 2.0,” his lawyer John Beck told a US Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey hearing on Wednesday.
Beck said that “advanced discussions for a consensual separation agreement of Mr. Rahm and LIV” are ongoing, according to a courtroom audio recording verified by AFP.
That agreement is expected to be presented before the court next month, he added.
“If the parties, for whatever reason, are unable to reach a consensual separation agreement, Mr. Rahm intends to press his objection through legal channels,” said Beck.
