Several sources say that Jon Rahm’s million-dollar move to LIV Golf has finally been agreed upon after weeks of rumors. It is thought that the Spaniard signed the biggest deal since the Saudi Arabia-backed rebel league began in 2022. This is a huge blow to the PGA Tour.
The specifics of Rahm’s five-year deal with LIV have not been made public yet, but he is set to become team captain at the start of the 2024 season. There are, however, reports that the deal that made him leave the golf course is worth between £450 million and £600 million.
Rahm is placed third in the Official World Golf Rankings. The 29-year-old had a great year. He won his second major title, The Masters, in April. He was also a big part of Europe’s Ryder Cup win in Rome two months ago, with his tie-breaking Sunday singles match with Scottie Scheffler being one of the best in the tournament’s history.
Since LIV started signing up top players like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau two years ago, the 2021 U.S. Open winner has said many times that he will stay with the PGA Tour. Rahm laughed off rumors that he would join LIV in the summer. But the lure of huge amounts of money passed down from generation to generation and maybe the benefits of a lighter playing schedule have been too strong to refuse.
The move comes at a very important time in the talks between the PGA Tour, LIV Golf’s backers, and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. Since the start of LIV, the two competing groups have been in a bitter fight, with lawsuits being filed by both sides.
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In a shocking turn of events, they said in June that there was a “framework agreement” in place for the two to merge. This would fix the problems that have been happening in the golf world for the past two years. But LIV’s purchase of one of the PGA Tour’s most sought-after players will make those talks more difficult before the Dec. 31 deadline, which will undoubtedly be a turning point in the future of the game at the highest level.
Rahm’s departure will likely make PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan even more worried that more players will leave for LIV. However, players like Adrian Meronk and Jason Day, who were reported to be on their way to the Saudi-run tour, have distanced themselves from the competition.
Since Rahm is still under contract with LIV, he will still be able to play in the big championships after his move. He will be able to play in the four biggest events of the year for five years after winning The Masters this year.
But it’s not likely that he’ll be able to play in the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York. At the moment, players in the European Ryder Cup have to be members of the DP World Tour. If they appear in a LIV event, they will be fined. In Rome, Europe didn’t have a single LIV player represent the team. Unless the rules for qualifying are changed, Europe will be missing one of its best players when it protects the trophy.
