Rahm and DeChambeau face uncertain future as LIV funding ends in 2026

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has told LIV Golf it will stop financing the circuit after the 2026 season, jolting Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and the tour’s other marquee names into a market where their leverage may prove thinner than their fame.

The fund said the investment required is no longer consistent with its strategy moving forward. LIV has since said it is seeking long-term financial partners and exploring strategic alternatives, while Reuters reported that players and staff were told over the previous two weeks that the fund had decided to end investment after the current season.

That leaves the league facing a blunt financial reality. CNBC reported that LIV’s non-U.S. operations lost nearly $600 million in 2024, and Reuters said the Public Investment Fund has already poured more than $5 billion into the venture since launch. LIV also postponed its planned June 2026 event in New Orleans, a fresh sign that the tour is under strain as it reassesses life after Saudi funding.

The stakes are unusually high because Rahm and DeChambeau are not merely recognizable names. They are major champions and the circuit’s biggest global draws, players whose presence helps determine broadcast value, sponsor interest and whether LIV can credibly compete for attention against the PGA Tour. If the money behind the league shifts, their value will still matter, but the structure around them may not.

The PGA Tour has already built a narrow route back for some former LIV players. Its Returning Member Program, launched on January 12, 2026, covered former members who joined unauthorized tournaments, had been away for at least two years, and had won The Players Championship, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship or The Open between 2022 and 2025. Applications ran from January 12 to February 2, and the program applies only to the 2026 season. It also carries steep penalties, including five years without Earnings Assurance Program benefits and five years without recurring equity grants.

Sky Sports reported that LIV held a call with 13 team captains, including Rahm and DeChambeau, to discuss future plans. It also said several players have sounded out reinstatement possibilities with the DP World Tour. Eamon Lynch said a return to the PGA Tour or European Tour would be very difficult for both stars, a warning that the exit door may be narrower than any LIV reshuffle suggests.

The precedent is already there. Reuters reported that Brooks Koepka rejoined the PGA Tour through the Returning Member Program, while Patrick Reed plans to return to PGA Tour competition later in 2026 and reinstate membership for 2027. If Rahm and DeChambeau ever decide to move, they will do so in a landscape reshaped by money, timing and the limits of their own leverage.