LIV Golf turns out to be a little mystery when it comes to the golfers’ contracts. It was a huge ruckus when all these players signed with the breakaway circuit in 2022, but nobody could decipher how long the contract would last. Rumors were saying that it would be for the next 3 years, but no confirmation came from the league itself. To this day, LIV has not revealed the duration of contracts for any of its golfers.

Even when Jon Rahm was signed in December 2023 for an alleged $500 million, the details about how long the partnership would be were not revealed. So, it is confusing when it comes to annual relegation or promotion. Talking about the same issue, veteran golf journalist Bob Harig sat down at Flushing It Golf podcast and discussed the workings of LIV Golf and how the contracts with different equity in the team’s work. At first, Harig was impressed that LIV was open about the captains being relegated this year.

But then how long were their contracts if they could get related? That’s why, for the sake of the leagues’s growth, Harig noted, “Another thing they need to do is be transparent about contracts. So we know when they are coming due. As a fan who follows this [LIV Golf] you should know if a guy is in danger of losing his spot or not.” He further added that the whole idea behind free agency of golfers, movement, relegation, and promotion is to entertain the fans but “what good is it do if you don’t know it?” asked the Sports Illustrated journalist.

However, the host noted that strict NDAs followed the contract between the breakaway circuit and a golfer and that’s why they can’t make it public knowledge. For example, in the 2024 season, Harold Varner III was close to getting relegated but his team informed Flushing It Golf that he couldn’t be relegated as his contract was through 2025. As the PGA Tour and PIF merger talks deepen, the contracts are also becoming a hassle for the Tour pros.

PGA Tour pros ask to give back money

In the past 3 years, LIV Golf backed by PIF has invested more than a billion dollars in acquiring various ex-PGA Tour pros like Phil Mickelson ($200 million), Bryson DeChambeau ($100-125 million) Brooks Koepka ($100 million) just to name a few. The lucrative contract was one of the things that pushed the golfers to jump ship and tee up at LIV Golf. But just as the duration is hidden, the actual value of the contract could also never be confirmed.

But one thing’s for sure these players got seven to eight figures after they signed the deal. And for the PGA Tour and PIF to merge, these lucrative contracts have become an issue for some pros. Bloomberg reported that the people or insiders who asked to be unnamed revealed that even through legalities, the merger is moving forward, but the PGA Tour pros demanded that the defectors give back their money.

The report stated, “Some PGA Tour players want Rahm — and others — to hand back money they’ve made from LIV, the people said. Other options include paying fines to participate in events, giving to charity, or agreeing to forfeit any future career winnings on the PGA Tour, the people said.” However, the golfers on the other side, Rahm and all, didn’t agree with this severe punishment for just taking a risk. As fingers are pointed at LIV Golf’s player contracts, it remains to be seen if the golfers and the league will give in to grow better in the coming years.