With a shrug of the shoulders and a raising of the eyebrows, Jon Rahm answered a question that was put to him point blank at LIV Golf U.K. on Tuesday.

Would you expect to be playing LIV Golf in 2027?

“I’m not going to share anything that I can’t share with you guys right now,” the Spaniard answered.

While it was ostensibly a no comment, it was not exactly a yes. With LIV Golf’s future uncertain after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed it would no longer finance the league, the two-time major champion said he was at least in regular dialogue with LIV Golf officials when asked if players had been given clarity.

“Yes,” Rahm said. “Well, we’re in contact with them. We know a lot of what’s going on, yeah. Not that I can share with you guys right now.”

A follow-up question suggested 2023 Masters champion Rahm seemed optimistic.

“I’m always optimistic; I play a game for a living,” he said at the JCB course in Uttoxeter, England. “I can’t really be too upset about how things are going in life. Even though I’m very frustrated on the course very often, off the course I’m very different to what a lot of people think.”

While LIV’s future is a topic of interest, Rahm is at least reassured of being able to play on the DP World Tour given that, in May, he reached an agreement with the DP World Tour to pay his outstanding fines for playing conflicting events on LIV Golf. Under the conditional release, Rahm can continue playing on LIV and the DP World Tour in 2026 without accruing fines, and he is eligible to qualify for the 2027 Ryder Cup.

Rahm also was asked at LIV about the pathways for DP World Tour members to the PGA Tour—specifically the 10 cards offered to the best finishers each season from Europe’s Race to Dubai rankings. Recently, DP World Tour veteran and nine-time winner Pablo Larrazabal told Flushing It Golf those 10 cards had to “disappear” and that the DP World Tour was “in the weakest position we’ve ever been in probably.

Rahm was asked for his reaction to hearing that.

“I’m not fully aware of all the [PGA Tour] changes, so I don’t think I can give you a very well-thought-out answer, and especially don’t know where … I’m assuming as the PGA Tour changes, the DP World Tour may do some changes, as well,’” Rahm said. “I don’t know where they fall in that category. I couldn’t tell you.”

Rahm stopped short of completely agreeing with his fellow Spaniard, but acknowledged the challenges of the pathway.

“I don’t think it’s great for the [DP World] tour,” Rahm said. “I would say as great as it is for the players, to lose your 10 best players of the year that weren’t already PGA Tour members to the PGA Tour can be a little challenging, but it’s a great pathway for players to get to the tour they desire to play in. But as far as what Pablo said, I don’t know enough to give you an answer.”

Rahm did offer some perspective that while Rory McIlroy, who many agree is the greatest European golfer of all time, staunchly supports the DP World Tour, it would be in a strong position. Talent may leave the DP World Tour, but the world’s biggest golf star plays more than the four minimum events to retain membership. McIlroy will next tee up on the DP World Tour at the Irish Open in September.

I don’t know enough of the changes maybe for them, but I think while the DP World Tour has the figure of somebody like Rory where he’s devoting so much of his time to play the DP World Tour, and right now he is undoubtedly the most famous golfer on the planet and the most influential, I think they’re always going to be in good position by somebody like him supporting the tour,” he said. “There’s always things they can do.”


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