David Puig set to follow Rahm out of LIV as Garcia weighs his options

David Puig has become the second Spaniard in two days to signal that he is leaving LIV Golf. After a level-par first round at the Open de España on Thursday, Puig, 24, said he did not expect to be part of the restructured league next season.

“The truth is I don’t see myself playing in LIV 2.0 next year,” Puig said, according to the Spanish news agency EFE. He added that the decision was all but made.

His comments came a day after Jon Rahm’s lawyer told LIV’s bankruptcy court in New Jersey that the terms for the new league were unacceptable to his client.

Puig to focus on the DP World Tour

EFE reports that his place on the DP World Tour is already secure after he won the Australian PGA Championship in November 2025, and that he has reached an agreement with the tour to settle his fines for playing on LIV. He said he hoped to play a fuller European schedule in 2027.

Puig joined LIV in 2022 straight out of Arizona State University, playing for Torque GC before spending the past two seasons with Garcia’s Fireballs GC. He thanked the league on his way out, telling reporters it had made him a better player by surrounding him with some of the best in the game. He is 82nd in the world rankings, according to EFE.

His opening 71 at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid left him five shots behind Eugenio Chacarra, Grant Forrest and Connor Syme, who share the lead on −5.

Garcia to decide in about two weeks

Thirty years after his first appearance in his national open, Garcia, Puig’s captain at Fireballs, opened with a 67 to sit one shot off the lead. He missed only one green all day, according to Open Golf.

Garcia was released from his LIV contract by the bankruptcy court this week, but he has not ruled out joining the new league. He backed both Rahm and Puig, saying every player had to do what was best for himself and his family, and that he would do the same. He expects to announce his own decision in about two weeks.

According to EFE, Garcia is weighing three routes: a return to the PGA TOUR, a place in LIV 2.0, or a heavier DP World Tour schedule to give himself a chance of making Europe’s team for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor.

LIV’s 25 October deadline

Players have until 25 October to commit to LIV 2.0, under the timetable set by LIV’s rescue investor, BC Partners. The new league is due to launch in 2027 as a smaller league in which players will own 52.5%.

Two of the league’s team captains are Spanish: Garcia led the Fireballs and Rahm led Legion XIII. Yahoo Sports has also reported that Adrian Meronk, who won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday, has no plans to join the new league.

Rahm and LIV aim to finalise their separation agreement by 15 October. The next hearing in the bankruptcy case is on 5 November.

Sources

• Infobae / EFE: David Puig también confirma que se sale de LIV
• Infobae / EFE: Sergio García, de las marchas de Rahm y Puig de LIV: “Respaldo lo que hagan”
• Open Golf: Sergio García se luce en Madrid y habla de Rahm y Puig
• DP World Tour: Open de España leaderboard
• Wikipedia: David Puig
• Yahoo Sports: Jon Rahm rejects LIV 2.0 deal and walks away from bankruptcy
• Golf Channel: Jon Rahm’s lawyer says client will not return to LIV Golf