Jon Rahm rejects LIV Golf relaunch terms as contract exit talks continue

Jon Rahm will not participate in LIV Golf’s proposed relaunch, his lawyer told a bankruptcy court on Wednesday, October 7, during a hearing in the league’s Chapter 11 case in New Jersey. Rahm and LIV are still working toward an agreement to end his existing contract, according to Field Level Media. The decision removes the league’s three-time individual champion from its proposed next phase while its restructuring remains before the court.

Rahm’s lawyer, John Beck, said the golfer had reviewed the proposed terms of what the parties call LIV 2.0 and found them unacceptable. ‘He will not be participating going forward in LIV 2.0,’ Beck told the court, according to the Reuters report carried by Channel NewsAsia. Beck’s statement establishes Rahm’s decision about the proposal; it does not establish that a separation agreement has been signed.

When could Rahm’s LIV Golf contract end?

Beck said Rahm and LIV were working to finalize a consensual separation agreement by October 15, Field Level Media reported. If they do not reach one by then, Beck said he expected to return to court on November 5 to address an order concerning rejection of Rahm’s contract. Those dates describe the anticipated process, rather than a confirmed end date for the deal.

The October 7 session was the second bankruptcy hearing since LIV filed for Chapter 11 protection on September 8, according to Field Level Media. Rahm’s decision gives that process an immediate sporting consequence: the league must pursue its proposed relaunch without a commitment from the player who has won its season-long individual title in each of his three seasons there.

What Rahm’s decision means for LIV Golf 2.0

Field Level Media reported that LIV’s original restructuring-support agreement called for backing from at least half of the players with financial claims against the league. Those players also had to represent at least two-thirds of the total value of player claims. An amended motion filed on Monday no longer specified those percentages, the outlet reported. Instead, it called for enough players to continue operating as a bona fide golf league.

Rahm’s departure from the proposed roster therefore comes while the terms for assembling that roster are changing. It does not, on its own, establish whether LIV 2.0 will launch or which other players will take part. Reuters reported that lawyers for several players asked the bankruptcy judge to let them out of existing contracts; ending those deals would still leave those players free to agree to participate in the proposed new version.

Reuters also reported that LIV had secured financing of up to $300 million from BC Partners to support its restructuring and next phase. The financing remained subject to bankruptcy court approval and customary conditions. Its announcement does not resolve Rahm’s contract negotiations or establish the final size and makeup of a relaunched league.

What remains unresolved for Rahm

Rahm’s existing deal had multiple years remaining when he discussed it in May, Field Level Media reported. The outlet described its remaining value as reportedly above $100 million. Separately, Reuters said the bankruptcy filing listed a roughly $7.5 million unsecured claim for Rahm, the largest player claim listed. A reported contract value and a filed creditor claim are different figures; neither supplies the terms of a possible separation agreement.

Field Level Media reported that Rahm was expected to play the DP World Tour’s season-ending events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. That expectation does not settle where he will play after his LIV contract is resolved. For now, the confirmed development is Beck’s statement that Rahm rejected LIV 2.0’s proposed terms, with the parties targeting October 15 for an agreement and a possible further court hearing identified for November 5.

An earlier NewsJaws report covered Rahm’s plan to leave LIV after rejecting the relaunch terms. The additional detail from Wednesday’s court reporting is the stated timetable for negotiating his formal exit: an October 15 target and, if needed, a return to court on November 5.