LIV Golf boss gives verdict on DeChambeau and Rahm contracts

LIV Golf boss Scott O’Neil provided a positive update on the league’s survival plan, but the futures of Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm remain uncertain…

LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil spoke with his usual bullish enthusiasm for over 20 minutes as he hailed a “really exciting” step in the league’s future at Trump Bedminster on Wednesday. But, as is often the case in these carefully managed scenarios, much of the intrigue lay in what was left unsaid.

O’Neil hadn’t planned on speaking to reporters before this week’s LIV Golf New York event, but the league announced on Tuesday evening that an update was forthcoming. Then came the news that LIV had signed an agreement with an unnamed investor that O’Neil says has been approved by their board to “play a key role in supporting the path forward for the league’s next era, driven by and for the players.”

The plan to keep LIV alive in 2027 and beyond revolves around a leaner schedule with leaner prize purses, but O’Neil boasted that the next generation will make players “the majority equity holders… a first for a major global sports league.”

Among the many questions that remain unanswered in LIV’s post-Saudi era, however, is whether their most important players will stick around for the transition of power. Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm are both yet to publicly comment on plans for what is being described as ‘LIV 2.0’.

O’Neil was asked specifically about both major champions and whether this new investment will allow LIV “to keep and afford stars, the likes of Bryson and Jon Rahm, going forward.” His long and roundabout answer was focused around Major League Baseball and the sport’s shift to attract younger fans. O’Neil was then quizzed again directly on the futures of DeChambeau and Rahm.

“I define it a little bit differently, and for those of you who have had the privilege and pleasure to travel with us around the world, you get to see it,” he said. “But I don’t think there was any bigger star on the planet in South Africa than Dean Burmester. And I don’t think there was any bigger star on the planet than Cam Smith when we were in Australia.

“When you have a global game and you have 57 players from 21 countries and you’re playing in 10 countries on five continents, how you define stars gets really interesting.

“So while I have all the time in the world for Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, I think I’d be remiss in saying they’re not only two of the biggest, best golfers on the planet, but I think they’re some of the biggest stars in sports, let alone golf. Would certainly love them to come along for the ride and journey because they carry maybe more weight than anybody in the game and I have a lot of time for that.”

It is not a stretch to say that, despite securing an agreement for investment, LIV’s longer-term future is entirely contingent on the movements of both DeChambeau and Rahm. Neither player has explicitly committed to the new direction but both have unique cases. DeChambeau’s contract is up at the end of this season and he has long flirted with the idea of focusing on the majors alongside full-time content creation.

However, TG has learned that senior officials at LIV are relaxed about his future, and DeChambeau could still relish being the biggest fish in the pond. DeChambeau led a player’s meeting at Bedminster on Tuesday and has been directly involved in talks with investors. There seems to be a mutual indifference with DeChambeau and the PGA Tour, and the the idea that LIV’s success could rest on his shoulders is a prospect that could appeal to DeChambeau’s ego.

Whether the same motivation entices Rahm is another matter. The Spaniard’s circumstances differ in that he is still owed in excess of $100million for his LIV contract. With the Saudi taps turned off, it seems impossible that he will be remunerated on that promise. If, as widely expected, LIV turns to bankruptcy, Rahm will need to negotiate new terms in his contract as a creditor. Rahm will then need to decide if he is more interested in a large chunk of equity in LIV’s new product or a return to the traditional tours.

Until DeChambeau and Rahm make their plans clear, speculation surrounding their futures will rage on. And O’Neil’s evasion did nothing to end the growing noise around his two most important assets.