Jon Rahm stays calm amid LIV Golf storm: 'I'm pretty good at dealing with turbulence'

Jon Rahm walked into the press conference ahead of the Irish Open with a blank expression. Around him, questions about LIV Golf’s future were more intense than ever. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the main backer, had just pulled out; the circuit was scaling back operations, with staff cuts reported in September. Yet the Spanish golfer answered with an almost emotionless line: “I’m pretty good at dealing with turbulence.” At a moment when many other golfers might panic, Rahm chose calm. He did not deny the difficulty, complain, or make firm promises. He simply said he was used to living through earthquakes. In fact, few people have more right to say that than Rahm – the man who once stood at the center of the historic shift between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Three years ago, when LIV Golf was born, Rahm was the name that shook the PGA Tour. His contract was rumored to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and his arrival turned LIV from a controversial idea into a real force. But the price of switching sides was considerable. He became entangled in lawsuits, lost OWGR points, and was cut off from a large part of the golf calendar. Now, with PIF withdrawing funding, LIV Golf faces the challenge of survival. The team event in Detroit scheduled for 2026 was cancelled. Operations were being “scaled back”. Such news would be enough to create a crisis of confidence for anyone. Yet Rahm did not stand still. He chose to use his schedule to weather the storm. He confirmed he would play the Irish Open at Doonbeg, followed by the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth – two major DP World Tour events. This might surprise people, but on closer inspection it is an extremely rational move. The reason lies in a temporary agreement between LIV Golf and the DP World Tour. This year, LIV golfers are still allowed to compete in European Tour events without barriers. For Rahm, the deal is like a lifeline: it helps him maintain a competitive rhythm, stay visible in elite golf, and creates a soft pathway back to the PGA Tour if he wants it. Instead of being trapped in the swirl of negotiations between tours, Rahm has built his own safe space. The way he answered the press also revealed something important: Rahm does not want to rush. He did not say “I will stay with LIV” or “I will return to the PGA Tour”. He only said: “We’ll see what happens.” To those who understand Rahm, this is not weak vagueness. It is the calculation of a major champion who knows that any early statement can become a barrier. Staying silent is the only way to keep every option open. Many experts and fans rushed to conclude that LIV Golf is collapsing and Rahm will soon have to return to the PGA Tour as a loser. But the view from inside the system tells a different story. Tyrrell Hatton, another LIV golfer granted DP World Tour eligibility, still expects LIV to continue next year. The scaling back may be a temporary restructuring, not the end. LIV was built with PIF money; but even without that huge source of funding, the tour could still survive in a smaller form, with a leaner schedule and golfers who accept reality. Rahm himself is showing that he understands this better than anyone. He is not using words like “disaster” or “end”. He simply says “turbulence”. A golfer who lives in a world of putts and statistics does not use meaningless words. “Turbulence” means there is still movement, still opportunity, and most importantly, still a future to turn around. From a pure golf perspective, playing two DP World Tour events in succession is more significant than it appears. The Irish Open at Doonbeg is a windy coastal course demanding ball control and patience. The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth is one of Europe’s most prestigious events, attracting the best players in the world. If Rahm performs well in both, he will send a powerful message: he remains one of the world’s elite golfers no matter what system surrounds him. That matters more than any statement made in a press conference. Golf fans are witnessing an unprecedented period in modern sport. A tour born out of enormous capital, nurtured by an entire media ecosystem and controversy, now faces existential questions. Jon Rahm, as the biggest remaining name, cannot avoid those questions. But he chooses to answer through his schedule rather than his words. That reveals a very different kind of poise from the noisy image many people associate with LIV golfers. Rahm’s story is also part of the wider flow of world golf. The PGA Tour remains strong, the DP World Tour is rediscovering its central role, and LIV Golf – with reduced resources – must prove it deserves to exist. Rahm stands at the intersection of all these currents. He cannot control LIV’s fate, but he can control his own schedule. That is why the next two weeks will matter far more than they look. Every swing at Doonbeg, every round at Wentworth, every post-round answer will be a signal for those following the golf world. The question is not whether Jon Rahm is still a great golfer; the question is whether he can turn his calmness into concrete results at a moment when the whole world is watching. And for a golfer who once said he is “pretty good at dealing with turbulence”, this is the time to prove that it is not just words.