Jon Rahm agrees deal to play for LIV Golf rival and return to the Ryder Cup in major blow to Saudi league

Jon Rahm has agreed a deal to play for a LIV Gold rival amid rumours claiming the league would shut down began to circulate.

Last month, reports emerged just less than five years after the initial plans for LIV Golf were announced, the Saudi-backed league was at risk of collapse.

Despite assurances from LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil, it later was confirmed that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) would end its funding of the PGA Tour rival at the end of the 2026 season.

The news immediately raised questions about what this meant for the future of LIV Golf and for the 57 players competing in the league.

Bryson DeChambeau, who is widely considered to be the face of LIV Golf, has hit out at reports suggesting he was looking to return to the PGA Tour, reaffirming his commitment to competing in team golf.

But now, LIV Golf has been dealt a major blow as Rahm, arguably the other biggest name signed to the organisation, has reached a conditional release agreement with the DP World Tour to return to play on the circuit this season.

As part of the deal, Rahm has paid the remainder of the outstanding fines handed to him for joining LIV Golf in 2024, reported to be around $3m (£2.21m).

Crucially, the move means that Rahm will be eligible to return to Team Europe's Ryder Cup lineup for the 2027 competition at Adare Manor.

A spokesperson for the DP World Tour said: "The DP World Tour and Jon Rahm have come to an agreement on conditional releases to play in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf during the remainder of its 2026 season.

"This involves payment of all outstanding fines accrued from 2024 to date, along with participation in agreed DP World Tour tournaments (outside the Majors) in the remainder of the 2026 season."

Meanwhile Rahm admitted that both sides "had made concessions" to reach the agreement.

"There's no longer a standoff," Rahm told reporters ahead of this week's LIV Golf Virginia event.

"We were able to reach an agreement. There were some concessions on both sides. I offered some, and they extended an olive branch. Obviously, we've reached an agreement. That will not be a stress anymore.

"There were some things I believed in that I wanted them to agree with me, and I knew it was a matter of time.

"I also understand they have their bylaws and their way to go about things, and they have to follow certain procedures, and things are never as easy or as fast as you would think they would be, or at least I would have liked, but I was never worried."

Rahm's move comes less than two months after the Spaniard turned down an offer to return to the European tour, claiming in Match that the circuit was “extorting players” who wanted to return from LIV Golf.

However, it has been reported that the conditions of Rahm's new arrangement were the same as those previously offered to him and accepted by another eight players at LIV Golf.

Although Rahm will continue to play at LIV events this season, he will now be eligible to earn Race to Dubai points at next week's PGA Championship and subsequent qualifying events this season, paving a road back to the PGA Tour or solely on the DP World Tour next season.