Jon Rahm admits he won't help save LIV Golf's future despite tour looking likely to fold

Despite LIV Golf’s search for an investor being ongoing after it was confirmed that Saudi funding will be withdrawn at the end of the season, one of its biggest stars, Jon Rahm, has insisted he will not support the organisation’s search.

In April, it was confirmed that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund would halt its bankrolling of the breakaway tour at the end of the season, raising concerns about its future after just five years of operation.

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) then released a statement in which it explained how the “substantial investment” needed to run the tour was no longer consistent with the current phase of PIF's investment strategy.

Multiple LIV events, including the New Orleans event, have also been postponed, plunging the future of LIV into doubt.

And while arguably LIV’s most popular star, Bryson DeChambeau, is actively supporting the search for investors and has reaffirmed his commitment to the league, saying: “I’m giving all I can to make it happen”, Rahm does not share that stance.

The two-time major winner explained the reasons behind his stance during a press conference at LIV Golf Andalucia on Monday (June 1).

Rahm said: "I know nothing about business.

“I'm never going to claim to know anything about business, and if I was in a business pitch, I would not know the first thing to say.

"My job is to play golf, and I'll say it's hard enough as it is, especially this week.

“But if any player who knows what they're doing is willing to do certain things like that, I think it can only help.

“To have insight from a player in a meeting like that can help, and I'm open for any suggestions possible, but I would also say I don't have the free time that Bryson has to be flying around the country to attend meetings with three little ones and one on the way.

“Even if I wanted to, I don't know if I could do it.”

What has Bryson DeChambeau said about LIV's funding search?

Speaking in May, DeChambeau said he was keen to help LIV despite previous reports of a potential exit.

"We didn't really see that [PIF ending funding] coming, but that's okay," DeChambeau said. "One door closes, another opens – I think that's the way a lot of us are looking at it.

"I think we all have optimism that there is a business plan that makes sense for team golf. I'm very optimistic about the business plan for team golf compared to other models, in my opinion.

"But again, other models have worked as well, so I'm not going to say that one is better than the other, but I do see value in what team golf can provide not only worldwide but also in grass rooting the game of golf.

"National support, team national support, city local support, we grass root ourselves there. There's a couple ideas that we have – quite a few ideas that we have – that could be interesting. We'll see if investors like it or not. I'm giving all I can to make it happen, and if it doesn't, it doesn't happen."