Jon Rahm was not 'willing to follow' LIV 2.0 path

Jon Rahm has said he left LIV Golf because he "wasn't willing to follow" the path that the breakaway series was taking.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund withdrew its backing of the circuit in April - having invested more than $5bn (£3.8bn) - leading to LIV filing for bankruptcy protection in the United States in September.

The league has secured a possible $300m (£224m) in financing to try to move forward with 'LIV 2.0' but Rahm reached a separation agreement to secure his exit from the series in October.

"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," said the 31-year-old Spaniard.

"It wasn't anything special, anything that stood out. I just didn't like where they were going with 2.0."

Rahm left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf in December 2023 in a deal worth a reported £222m ($300m) and he left with ESPN reporting , external he was owed about $100m (£75m) from the remainder of the contract.

"There were too many unknowns at the time," added the two-time major winner. "It seemed like it was going a bit away from team golf.

"It became more of a regular tournament. It wasn't really ever much of a consideration."

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Some players, including Brooks Koepka, have returned to the PGA Tour, which rewrote its rules in December to allow the five-time major winner to come back, subject to certain sanctions, including making a $5m (£3.7m) charitable donation as part of his return.

However, the American-based circuit closed its returning member programme on 2 February with Rahm remaining under long-term contract with LIV.

In May, though, Rahm reached a deal with the DP World Tour to retain his membership of the European circuit and remain eligible for next year's Ryder Cup.

LIV golfers are automatically banned for a year by the PGA Tour. The DP World Tour offers a pathway and the leading 10 players currently gain access to PGA Tour membership.

"Brooks was able to go back through certain circumstances," said Rahm. "I don't know if the possibility of that would be open for me or not.

"But if I have to fulfil a one-year suspension, I think it's a pretty good position to be that a worst-case scenario I get to play on a wonderful tour [DP World Tour] for a whole year."

Rahm added: "I seriously doubt I get offered the same deal that Brooks did, but if I got offered exactly the same penalties as him, I probably would do it, yes."