While LIV Golf was busy planning some drastic changes for 2026, Brooks Koepka‘s sudden exit sent shockwaves through the league, but for fellow star Jon Rahm, the move wasn’t a complete surprise. Now, he has offered a candid perspective on the sensitive situation.

Rahm joined Drew Stoltz and Colt Knost on the Subpar podcast. Reflecting on Koepka’s decision, the LIV Golf icon revealed that the reasons went far beyond the golf course, hinting at a difficult personal struggle that put the game in perspective. 

“I don’t know what happened, but I know he was dealing with some stuff off the golf course. I still don’t know what’s happened,” shared Rahm.

He also pointed out that he was well aware that Koepka would make such a decision.

“I had an idea, but more through him than the league itself.” 

Such a sentiment carries weight, especially coming from one of Koepka’s contemporaries. More so because, with the 35-year-old choosing to step away from the Saudi-backed league midway through the season, LIV Golf is bound to feel the impact of losing a player of his stature.

Continuing on the topic, Rahm pointed out that he was aware of how Brooks Koepka and Jena Sims suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage in 2025.

“I saw they made an announcement about a miscarriage. Luckily, I can’t say what that feels like. I don’t wish it on anybody. I know that’s tough on some people. I wish him the best. I’ve had some great times with Brooks on the golf course. Obviously, in the ’23 Masters, we had that playoff in ’24 at Greenbrier,” Rahm concluded. 

As the duo shared many happy memories on the fairway together, Rahm did wish that the partnership had lasted a little longer. But with Koepka seemingly interested in joining the PGA, Rahm is up for igniting a fresh competition with his American counterpart.

Meanwhile, as Koepka tries to get himself into the PGA, his road to the fairway will be anything but smooth. 

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PGA Tour insider delivers brutal reality about Brooks Koepka’s return

Firstly, the PGA’s rulebook does not allow a golfer from LIV or any other unauthorized league to compete right away. All of them have to serve a one-year ban from the date they last represented the unauthorized league.

Going by this rule, Koepka last competed in August. So, he would not be cleared by the PGA until mid-2026 at least. However, there have been rumors about the league making an exemption for Koepka. 

Meanwhile, in an episode of ‘Shotgun Start,’ the hosts pointed towards a whole different legal challenge.

“He can’t just be showing up at Palm Springs AMX in like five weeks. It just can’t,” the hosts noted. “Brooks Koepka is a golfer. This isn’t like Taiwan, where the State Department needs to meet over every word. Jay Monahan can pick up the phone and say, We’d love to have you. We don’t need to pore over every word in one of the global home meeting rooms to just release this milk toast garbage,” they further added. 

Even if this comes as a bummer for fans, it is true.

Koepka’s three PGA Championships and a couple of U.S. Open titles will allow him to get into the field for Quail Hollow, Oakmont, and the Masters. Unfortunately, these achievements are not enough for him to enter the premium events like the American Express, Bay Hill, and others.

Now, with the path towards comeback looking murky, fans will be eager to find out what exactly Brooks Koepka’s 2026 will look like.