No single move to LIV Golf seemed to send a bigger warning to the PGA Tour than the deal in December 2023 which saw Jon Rahm jump ship and set up his own team in the league.
Jon Rahm has been an outstanding signing for LIV Golf. Until recently, he had not finished outside the top 10 in a single LIV event. He did, of course, win the individual title in his first year in the league.
LIV obviously hoped that Rahm would be the needle-mover. When he left the PGA Tour, he was the reigning Masters champion. Meanwhile, his singles match with Scottie Scheffler at the 2023 Ryder Cup looked to be a sign of what was to come, with the pair arguably the two best players in the world at the time along with Viktor Hovland.
It seemed that Rahm’s move was either going to force the PGA Tour to the table in negotiations, or it was going to give LIV Golf the boost it needed to become the number one tour in the world.
However, as 2025’s major championship season comes to an end, it appears that neither has happened.
Jon Rahm may have questions for LIV Golf owners after another average year in the majors
There were definitely times when a deal between the two tours seemed close. Tiger Woods suggested that a merger was imminent at the Genesis Invitational earlier this year, while both sides were involved in a meeting with Donald Trump at the White House.
But more than two years on from the framework agreement being announced, there are reportedly no talks taking place between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
It does appear that both tours will be able to continue without a deal. The PGA Tour seems to be doing extremely well right now, while LIV Golf’s existence is never going to be in doubt while the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia is happy to bankroll the league.
The split makes the majors feel even more special. Fans know that the four events are going to be the only times when the likes of Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau face off against Scheffler or Rory McIlroy.
But something which does not appear to be in any doubt is that Rahm’s chances of adding to his two major titles do not seem to have been helped by his move to LIV.
The Spaniard’s best finish in the seven majors he has played since joining LIV is tied for seventh. And it was surprising that he never looked like putting himself in contention at The Open Championship this past week with Rahm finishing tied for 34th at Royal Portrush. It was his joint worst finish in the event since 2019.
It has arguably gone under the radar how underwhelming Rahm’s performances in the majors have been this year. He has had two top 10s and he was in the mix on Sunday at the PGA Championship. But when he has needed that extra gear, he has been unable to find it.
This is the player Data Golf puts at number three in the world.
His form on LIV has also been slightly surprising. He did finish second at Andalucia, but that was his first podium individually since the season-opener in Riyadh.
LIV Golf move does not appear to have done Jon Rahm many favours in the four biggest events of the year
Perhaps blaming LIV for his form in the majors is extremely harsh. Rahm failed to register a top 10 in the four biggest events of the year back in 2022 – before he made the jump. And his worst result in 2025 was tied for 34th.
But Rahm was a player who initially pledged his allegiance to the PGA Tour. So it would have taken something special for LIV to be able to change his mind and join.
You would imagine that Rahm would not have made the move had the framework agreement not already been in place. Any player who moved after that would have felt that it may not be too long before they are able to tee it up at The Players Championship or Memorial or the Tour Championship again.
But as things stand, it seems that a deal is a long way off. Those who signed contracts with LIV have no say over their schedules. They cannot prepare for the major championships in the manner they would want to – and that should anger anyone who received some assurances about what the future of the game looked like when they signed with LIV.
Those in the field at the Scottish Open felt it was ideal preparation for The Open. They had the opportunity to play 72 holes of competitive golf on a links course before making their way to Northern Ireland.
Valderrama is one of the toughest tests in Europe. However, it asks different questions to Royal Portrush, while LIV events take place over 54 holes. It was no surprise therefore that DeChambeau got off to such a terrible start at The Open Championship.
Some players have made the LIV schedule work for them. DeChambeau has become one of the biggest names in the game since leaving the PGA Tour.
And you could hardly say that Rahm has been a failure. His average finish in the majors this year is better than 16th.
But Rahm left the PGA Tour when it seemed that he was destined to be Scottie Scheffler’s biggest rival.
It arguably says plenty that Scheffler’s worst finish in the majors this year matched Rahm’s best.
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