U.S. Open: LIV Golf needed Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson to step up at Shinnecock. They didn't

LIV Golf is not in a good spot this summer, and the future of the startup league is absolutely in doubt. But even during the worst of it, the bright side has always been that, at least for the most part, one big name from the league has found a way to get into contention when it matters.

>That didn't happen this week at Shinnecock Hills. Not even close.

>LIV Golf's stars fell apart this week at the U.S. Open at perhaps the worst possible time for the organization. Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson — easily the three biggest names from LIV in the field at the major championship this week — all crashed out hard on Friday and fell near or below the projected cutline.

>While a few LIV Golf members were still hovering right around the projected cutline — including Joaquin Niemann, who threw a club and was penalized for it in a crashout of his own on Friday — they were not in a good spot. With Wyndham Clark leading the way at 7-under, it's going to take a historic rally and some help for someone from LIV to find their way into the mix come Sunday.

>Let’s start with Rahm, who was right in contention after his 2-under 68 to start the tournament. He was coming off a runner-up outing at the PGA Championship last month, too, and has been incredibly consistent all year with multiple wins and four second-place finishes on LIV. He entered the week having cracked the top-10 in the world rankings, too, and was widely considered LIV's best hope at a title this week.

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>But, after making the turn at 2-over on his round, Rahm made four straight bogeys and then capped the streak with a double to slide not only out of contention but out of the tournament. He carded an 8-over 78 to drop to 6-over, which is outside the cutline.

>DeChambeau's struggles continued this week, too. The man who won the U.S. Open two years ago and has finished in the top 10 in six of his last eight major starts entering 2026, has now yet to make a cut at a major this season. He made back-to-back doubles on the front on Friday, and ended up posting a 5-over 75 to fall out of contention — and possibly on the wrong side of the cutline.

>But it was Johnson's collapse that was the worst. Johnson, who has completely fallen off in recent years since leaving the PGA Tour, managed to get within a shot of the lead early on Friday in what was a true flashback moment for the former top-ranked golfer who has tumbled to No. 245 in the world rankings. He then imploded almost out of nowhere, going 8-over in just a five-hole span. Frustrations boiled over in a bunker at the 15th, which set up a quadruple bogey.

Sure, Johnson has struggled lately. But that kind of a collapse isn't something often seen from a multi-time major winner.

Is the U.S. Open a deathblow for LIV Golf?LIV Golf is already on its last leg, and is apparently working on a potential shutdown plan if it can't find new investors.

>Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is pulling funding from the startup league at the end of the 2026 season. The PIF has poured billions into the venture, which has struggled to gain traction in recent years and lost two notable names back to the Tour (Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed) after the merger-of-sorts that was announced at the height of the golf feud never came together.

>LIV officials are attempting to move forward with "LIV 2.0" and tweak the format both to retain golfers and appeal to potential investors. They are reportedly trying to raise up to $250 million. If that can't happen, the organization has reportedly started laying the groundwork for a potential U.S. bankruptcy.

>There are four LIV Golf events left on the calendar in 2026. CEO Scott O'Neil stopped short of guaranteeing that the events will be played while speaking on CNBC earlier this month, but said he has to "take an incredible organization like the PIF at their word."

>Reports surfaced this week that LIV Golf is now running on loans for the rest of 2026, too. While specifics on those details aren't yet known, it's only going to add to the pressure on the venture. The next LIV Golf tournament isn't until after The Open Championship next month, so there's quite a bit of time off.

>Now, a U.S. Open title wouldn't have saved LIV Golf on its own. At this point, there may be no saving the league that once caused so much disruption in the golf world. But a win would have at least given the venture some more validity while on the hunt for new investors and a revival. Even having a star in contention for a brief moment this weekend would have helped.

>Yet, with DeChambeau and Rahm watching from home, and Johnson all but out of contention, the U.S. Open is just another significant setback for the league as it fights for survival. Whether it's the final blow that shuts it down completely remains to be seen.