Rahm on Joining LIV: “Things Have Changed A Lot”
It is now official.
Two-time major winner Jon Rahm has joined LIV Golf.
The deal became official on Thursday evening and Rahm spoke to the media via a conference call to talk about the decision.
“The past two years there’s been a lot of evolving in the game of golf and things have changed a lot and so have I. Seeing the growth and evolution and the innovation is something that’s captured my attention and that’s why we’re here today,” said Rahm.
Terms of his deal were not disclosed, but it is believed to be upwards of $500 million, if not more.
“I’m not allowed to speak on that right now. There are certain things that are not gonna be public. This decision was for many reasons what I thought was best for me. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great deal. I had a really great offer in front of me and that’s why I took it. They put me in a position where I had to think about it and I did,” said Rahm.
On the money, he added, “It’s one of the reasons, I’m not going to sit here and lie to you. It’s one of the reasons.”
The decision to join LIV is a complete 180 from what Rahm has previously said about the “rival” tour.
At the 2022 U.S. Open, Rahm said that $400 million “wouldn’t change his life,” and that the shotgun format, three rounds was not for him.
He spoke a different tune on Thursday evening.
“The growth that I’ve seen and how it’s become a global business and can impact golf globally in a meaningful way is very enticing. For all those things I like about this movement, there are always going to be things that are not perfect. That’s something I can live with. It’s an ever-growing and ever-changing machine. I hope the leaders of LIV Golf might listen to my advice and see some changes in the future that are better for the future of the game,” Rahm told media members.
Rahm is expected to be the captain of his own team and apparently is bringing other players with him.
“I was part of the Spanish national team for many years and more recently ASU. I’ve been part of a golf team for the largest part of the career. Having that opportunity brought a lot of those feelings back. I’m looking forward to building a team of four strong players. That’s a beautiful feeling that we don’t get to experience often in golf. It’s one of the main motivating factors for me,” the defending Masters champion said.
When asked who is going to be on his team, he said “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
A team name has not yet been announced.
PGA Tour – PIF
There is seemingly a lot of chaos and uncertainty around the PGA Tour at the moment, according to reports.
Back in June, Commissioner Jay Monahan entered into an agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund without telling players.
“I’m forever grateful for the PGA Tour and the platform they allowed me to be on. I have nothing bad to say about them,” said Rahm.
He was pressed about the potential deal, but did not have any insight as to what was going on.
Rahm explained, “I’ve separated myself form my negotiations because it’s management of the PGA Tour and PIF. My job is to play golf that’s what I’m here to do. That’s what I want to do. Hopefully that negotiations.”
The PGA Tour and PIF have until the end of the month to get a deal done.
In the meantime, it appears more chaos is on the horizon.