When will Jon Rahm return to the PGA Tour after LIV Golf exit?

Jon Rahm is leaving LIV Golf, but the bigger question is what comes next for the Spaniard.

The two-time major champion has rejected the proposed terms for the league’s next phase, bringing his time with LIV to an end. 

However, returning to the PGA Tour could prove far more complicated than simply changing allegiances.

While some players may welcome Rahm back with open arms, others believe the former World No.1 should face consequences for leaving in the first place. 

Xander Schauffele is among those still weighing up where he stands.

There is also growing expectation that Rahm’s teammate Tyrrell Hatton could follow a similar path, with both players potentially targeting a full DP World Tour schedule in 2027 before pursuing a return to the PGA Tour in 2028. 

Jon Rahm could miss entire 2027 PGA Tour season

Rahm’s lawyer, John Beck, confirmed at a U.S. bankruptcy court hearing on October 7 that the 31-year-old would not participate in LIV Golf’s proposed 2027 era.

Beck said Rahm had independently reviewed the new terms and found them “unacceptable”. 

The Spaniard and LIV are now in advanced discussions over a consensual separation agreement, with a further court hearing scheduled for November 5.

But leaving LIV does not automatically open the door to a PGA Tour return.

Under the PGA Tour’s current rules, former LIV players must serve a 12-month suspension before returning. 

Based on the date of Rahm’s final counting LIV event, that would keep him out until the end of August 2027, effectively ruling him out of the entire FedEx Cup season.

A fuller schedule on the DP World Tour looks like one of the most logical options for 2027. 

Rahm remains a member of the European circuit, and chief executive Guy Kinnings would welcome the prospect of more LIV players returning next season.

Hatton, who joined Rahm at LIV in 2024, could be another major name to make that move.

The 34-year-old Englishman is not only Rahm’s teammate at Legion XIII but also his European Ryder Cup teammate, with the pair having developed a close friendship. 

With Rahm now heading for the exit, there is growing expectation that Hatton will follow suit and return to a fuller DP World Tour schedule in 2027.

Such a move would give both players a chance to remain competitive while assessing their options for a potential PGA Tour comeback.

PGA Tour players divided over a quick Rahm return

Not everyone is convinced Rahm should be welcomed straight back to the PGA Tour, even if he is one of the best players in the world. 

Nobody is bigger than the PGA Tour after all. 

Speaking after the third round of the Baycurrent Classic in Japan, Schauffele admitted he was still unsure how he felt about Rahm’s decision to leave LIV, but acknowledged that the Spaniard was acting in his own interests.

“He's clearly done whatever's best for himself just like all of us,” Schauffele told reporters en route to a T4 finish in Japan. 

The 32-year-old American also suggested the DP World Tour could be Rahm’s most likely destination for now, given the uncertainty surrounding a PGA Tour return.

“I don't know if the [PGA] Tour has offered him a spot like they had that window before,” Schauffele added. 

“He's just doing whatever he thinks is best for himself.”

Schauffele’s comments reflect the complicated mood within the PGA Tour locker room. 

Some players would have little objection to the LIV defectors returning, while others believe those who accepted enormous contracts to leave should face a financial penalty or wait longer to regain their playing privileges.

Schauffele, who is understood to have turned down lucrative offers to join LIV in both 2022 and 2023, has previously been outspoken about the PGA Tour’s handling of the breakaway league. 

He called for then-commissioner Jay Monahan to step down following the shock framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in June 2023.

The two-time major champion has also admitted that the episode damaged his trust in the PGA Tour’s leadership.

Asked whether he expected a compromise for returning LIV players, Schauffele said he had “no idea”.

“There are 225 guys with Tour cards and if you sat down and interviewed all of them, you're going to get probably three or four boxes of how guys feel,” he explained.

“Some guys don't care, some guys are really ticked off, some guys want them to have a huge fine, some guys would let them back tomorrow.

“Where I stand in those boxes, I don't really know. I'm in the sort of, I try to mind my own business most times.”

Will PGA Tour offer another Returning Membership program? 

The most obvious route back was the Returning Membership program introduced by PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp earlier in 2026.

Former LIV player Brooks Koepka took advantage of the scheme, returning to the Tour in January after accepting significant conditions, including a substantial financial penalty directed towards charity and an initial restriction from the Signature Events.

Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith were also offered the opportunity but chose to remain with LIV.

That decision could now prove costly.

Rolapp confirmed on September 15 that the the PGA Tour had no plans to reopen the program. 

He also indicated that discussions with LIV players would not take place while they remained under contract with the league.

Unless the Tour changes its stance, Rahm could be required to serve his full 12-month suspension (just as Patrick Reed has done this season) before returning to the Tour where he has 11 victories to his name. 

Even then, Rahm may need to earn his way back into the Signature Events, just as Koepka has been forced to do. 

Whether Hatton would face the same considerations if he also leaves LIV remains to be seen.

Rahm’s LIV exit comes amid financial turmoil

Rahm’s departure comes at a hugely tense time for LIV Golf.

The league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September, five months after the PIF announced it would stop financing the operation after committing more than $5 billion since its launch in 2022.

Court filings listed assets of between $100 million and $500 million, against liabilities of between $500 million and $1 billion. 

Rahm, DeChambeau, Smith and Dustin Johnson were among the players reportedly owed money, with Rahm said to be awaiting $7.5 million.

The Spaniard joined LIV in December 2023 for a reported $350 million deal, becoming the highest-ranked player to leave the PGA Tour for the breakaway league.

He subsequently won four events and claimed the season-long individual title in each of his first three LIV seasons. 

His Legion XIII team, featuring Hatton, Tom McKibbin and Caleb Surratt, also won the team championship in 2025.

So when will Rahm return to the PGA Tour?

There is no confirmed date for Rahm’s PGA Tour comeback, but the Tour’s latest eligibility criteria offer a clearer picture of his potential route back.

Assuming he serves a standard 12-month suspension, Rahm could qualify for the PGA Tour’s new 2028 Championship Series in one of two ways: by winning a major championship in 2027 or securing a qualifying spot through the DP World Tour.

The number of places available through the European circuit has yet to be confirmed, leaving Rahm’s route back far from guaranteed.

A full DP World Tour schedule in 2027 could therefore prove crucial, allowing the Spaniard to remain competitive while putting himself in contention for a return to the PGA Tour’s biggest events.

Under the current rules, Rahm could be sidelined from the PGA Tour until late August 2027, potentially ruling him out of the entire FedEx Cup season.

For now, the DP World Tour appears to offer his most realistic route back to the top level, but much will depend on his performances in 2027 and the PGA Tour’s final qualification criteria.