Whispers around the rumored demise of LIV Golf have been growing louder over the past few days. To make things worse, the $30M event in New Mexico went into a complete broadcasting blackout for a couple of hours. But despite all the noise, LIV golfers like Jon Rahm have stayed true to the league, offering some worthy insights to the whole scenario.
After tying for second place with a six-under at Club de Golf Chapultepec, Rahm told Fox Sports Mexico’s Rodrigo Tovar, “Until the people in charge told me whether the rumors were true or not. For me, it didn’t make sense to think about it or waste time thinking about it. We were here; we knew we were going to play, so the idea was to prepare for a tournament. And that’s it.”
Beyond just ignoring the noise, Rahm also cast serious doubt on the legitimacy of the rumors themselves, pointing to the sheer speed at which the narrative exploded online. According to the Legion XIII captain, the players usually get the news before the public catches wind about such things. But this time, it was different. And hence, he seemed sure that the noise was nothing but that of rumors.
He continued, “Since everything happened so suddenly and so quickly, I wasn’t very worried about it because normally, before the rumors start, we already know something. There’s always someone within the league who knows something; it happened so fast that I really didn’t worry about it.”
@JonRahmOfficial spoke in Spanish about what happened with LIV Golf recently, at the post first round press conference. I translated what he said in Spanish into English.
(Question from Rodrigo Tovar of Fox Sports Mexico):
– “Until the people in charge (of LIV) told me whether…
— HANDICAP 54 (@handicap_54) April 17, 2026
The Spaniard’s remarks supporting LIV aren’t surprising, as he has described the league as “innovative” and has even praised the “different and unique” experience. He has emphasized the importance of team camaraderie, noting that team wins can feel as significant as individual achievements. Rahm has described his time on the LIV circuit as fun, noting the different feel to the tournaments.
The rumors rose from a report by the Financial Times that claimed the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund was backtracking its support from the league. People began to speculate that it could be because of LIV Golf’s $1.4 billion loss or the LIV golfers’ questionable performance at the Masters Tournament.
Jon Rahm has been playing for LIV Golf since 2024 as the captain of Legion XIII. In his first season, he finished in the top 10 in all of his 12 starts. His performance has earned him around $87.7M by early 2026. And there’s no way he’d stand against the league during such critical times.
But what does the LIV Golf CEO, Scott O’Neil, have to say about the noise?
Scott O’Neil backs Jon Rahm regarding LIV Golf
When the media person asked Scott O’Neil about the speculations, he claimed that there was nothing to worry about. Things are already running smoothly, except for the two-hour broadcasting blackout, of course, and the LIV Golf CEO seemed pretty optimistic about the league’s growth in the near future.
O’Neil claimed, “I’m disappointed with some of the coverage. I’ve never read — been in an industry that has more unnamed sources than this one. In fact, I was reading through some coverage this morning, and I couldn’t find one source on the record in all the articles that were written. I would just say let’s be responsible.”
According to him, LIV Golf’s presence is better for the golf world than its absence. For the PGA Tour, the competition LIV Golf brings is certainly good for business. The rivalry at the major championships, where people get to see LIV golfers battling PGA Tour professionals, raises the stakes, and with that, viewership rises. For reporters, LIV Golf makes the scoops spicier. And for the fans, it takes golf around the world, bringing the sport to places outside the USA that are craving such action.
