The PGA Tour have missed a big Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm trick at the Zurich Classic

Q: What is the current status of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf relationship?

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf are still in conflict nearly four years after LIV's inception.

Q: How has the PGA Tour performed compared to LIV Golf since LIV's launch?

The PGA Tour has grown stronger, while LIV Golf has struggled and failed as a product.

Q: What challenges does LIV Golf face in the future?

LIV Golf faces a very uncertain future due to its inability to establish itself as a viable product.

Q: Why is the conflict between PGA Tour and LIV Golf significant?

The ongoing conflict highlights the challenges of competition in professional golf and impacts players' careers.

Photo by WIKUS DE WET / AFP via Getty Images

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf are still at loggerheads nearly four years after the latter’s inception.

During that time, the PGA Tour has gone from strength to strength, while LIV Golf has simply failed as a product.

As a result, the fledgling golf league faces a very uncertain future.

Rumors started to swirl last week about LIV Golf‘s long-term viability and the PGA Tour hierarchy must have been relishing the uncertainty faced by their rivals.

The likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm face the prospect of not having a tour to play on next season.

Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images

LIV Golf was plunged into ‘total anarchy’ last week, when it was claimed that Saudi Arabia’s PIF could cut their financial support of the league at the end of the 2026 season.

However, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil rejected those claims, suggesting that the league is in a very strong position.

With all of the rumors swirling, the PGA Tour have seemingly missed a real opportunity to create a huge storyline this week.

PGA Tour missed Zurich Classic trick with Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau

Rahm and DeChambeau are the two biggest stars on LIV Golf, by quite some margin as well.

It’s fair to say that both players hold box-office status in the professional game, especially the American.

And it’s fair to argue the point that a seriously big marketing opportunity has just been missed by the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour should have made a one-time offer to LIV golfers Rahm and DeChambeau to play as a team in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

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Firstly, it is unclear as to whether DeChambeau and Rahm would have accepted the offer.

Secondly, I don’t know whether their LIV Golf contracts would have allowed them to play in a PGA Tour event.

However, I truly believe it would have been a win-win situation for all parties involved.

PGA Tour, LIV Golf, DeChambeau and Rahm would all have been winners

The PGA Tour would have drawn in huge revenue by having DeChambeau and Rahm play this week in New Orleans.

It also would have been a great chance for the LIV duo to prove that they can dominate on the PGA Tour, with the added bonus of a two-year exemption available for the winners!

Meanwhile, LIV Golf would surely jump at the chance to showcase their best pairing in front of a primetime US television audience.

LIV would surely have been due a percentage of the revenue created by the Rahm and DeChambeau pairing at the Zurich Classic, due to the fact that they hold significant marketing and image rights for both players.

It really does seem like a huge opportunity has been missed here.

The PGA Tour should have made the one-time offer to LIV Golf, allowing them to put forward DeChambeau and Rahm as a pairing at the Zurich Classic.

The Zurich Classic was the fifth least watched PGA Tour tournament in 2025 (Sports Business Journal).

There would have been a lot more eyeballs on the tournament this week, and it’s such a shame that DeChambeau and Rahm were not handed the opportunity to play in New Orleans.