Rahm ‘snug’ with LIV transfer, followers’ backlash

Jon Rahm sat in a room someplace in New York, making ready to speak to greater than a dozen reporters on a Zoom name at round 4:45 p.m. ET Thursday. There was a LIV Golf League backdrop behind him, because the Saudi Arabian-financed circuit was making ready to announce it had poached the No. 3-ranked golfer on the planet from the rival PGA Tour.

It was a scene that might have appeared unfathomable in April, when Rahm appeared absolutely dedicated to the PGA Tour after claiming his second main championship on the Masters.

For greater than a yr, Rahm had voiced his dislike of LIV Golf’s 54-hole tournaments, no cuts and shotgun begins, saying he most popular to stay with the PGA Tour, the place legends akin to Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods had performed earlier than him.

Ultimately, Rahm, a 29-year-old native of Spain, could not go up a multiyear contract that’s price greater than $300 million, in line with sources, and consists of partial possession of his new LIV Golf workforce. Sources informed ESPN that LIV Golf is recruiting different PGA Tour gamers to affix Rahm’s workforce; he declined to call whom they is likely to be.

“This determination was for a lot of causes what I assumed was greatest for me,” Rahm stated. “Do not get me incorrect, it is an awesome deal. I had a very good provide in entrance of me, and it is one of many the explanation why I took it, proper? They actually put me able the place I had to consider it and I did.”

Rahm stated he is aware of he shall be criticized by some golf followers for his sudden about-face. He stated at the very least certainly one of his sponsors, Callaway, stated it will proceed its relationship with him.

“Each determination I really feel like we make in life, there [will] be someone who agrees and likes it and someone who would not,” Rahm stated. “I’ve made this determination as a result of I imagine it’s the greatest for me and my household, and all people I have been in a position to speak to has been actually supportive of me. So I am very snug with my determination.

“I am no stranger to listening to some damaging issues on social media or [in the] media, so it is a part of what it’s. We’re public figures, however simply study to take care of it, proper? It definitely will not outline who I’m or change who I’m, so I believe with expertise you simply study to take care of negativity a little bit bit higher.”

I’m proud to affix @livgolf_league and be a part of one thing new that’s bringing development to the game. I’ve little question that this can be a nice alternative for me and my household and am very excited for the long run. pic.twitter.com/myf4isJgJ3

— Jon Rahm Rodriguez (@JonRahmpga) December 7, 2023

The PGA Tour launched a press release later Thursday saying its focus stays on the tour and “unifying the sport for our followers and gamers.”

“We won’t communicate for choices that any particular person gamers may make however based mostly on the momentum of the previous season and energy of the PGA Tour, together with the accelerated curiosity from and negotiations with quite a lot of outdoors buyers, we’re in place to make our gamers fairness homeowners and additional permit the tour to put money into our members, put money into our followers and proceed to steer males’s skilled golf ahead,” the tour stated in its assertion.

Rahm’s determination comes at a time when the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund try to hammer out the ultimate particulars of a framework settlement that might mix their business pursuits into a brand new for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the PIF, are scheduled to fulfill subsequent week. The PIF has spent greater than $3 billion funding the LIV Golf League the previous two seasons. The framework settlement is about to run out Dec. 31; Monahan referred to as the date a “agency deadline” final week.

The framework settlement offers Monahan authority to find out the way forward for LIV Golf, which has struggled to achieve a foothold within the U.S. however has generated vital curiosity in Australia, Singapore, Spain and different international locations. Sources informed ESPN the way forward for LIV Golf and whether or not workforce golf has a spot within the sport’s future ecosystem have emerged as sticking factors for the Saudis throughout negotiations.

It is unclear how Rahm’s defection will affect the proposed alliance. LIV Golf’s capacity to poach a participant of Rahm’s caliber would appear to present the Saudis leverage in negotiations, because the PGA Tour can also be entertaining presents from a handful of U.S.-based buyers.

“I imply, lots has occurred within the recreation of golf and we have seen some steps in the direction of the sport coming collectively, and hopefully we are able to hold making these selections and people actions in the direction of ending up in a greater spot, which is principally my objective as a golfer,” Rahm stated.

The June 6 framework settlement included a clause that prohibited each side from trying to poach one another’s gamers, nevertheless it was eliminated after the U.S. Division of Justice’s Antitrust Division raised issues that it restricted competitors.

Sources beforehand informed ESPN that the PGA Tour might kind a partnership with each the PIF and a U.S.-based fairness agency due to issues {that a} PIF-only deal wouldn’t be permitted by federal regulators within the U.S. and overseas.

A conglomerate led by Fenway Sports activities Group, which owns the Boston Purple Sox and Pittsburgh Penguins, is among the many remaining potential bidders, sources informed ESPN. So is Liberty Media Corp., which has possession stakes in System One, Sirius XM and the Atlanta Braves, and Acorn Progress Cos., an Oklahoma Metropolis-based fairness group that had beforehand targeted on the aerospace and protection industries.

Rahm stated his greatest concern was not being allowed to play in future Ryder Cups. He has performed on the European workforce in every of the previous three worldwide competitions and appears to have as a lot ardour for the occasion as his Spanish {golfing} idols, Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal.

Ryder Cup veterans akin to Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Lee Westwood had been ineligible for the European workforce in Italy this yr as a result of they’d resigned their DP World Tour memberships. Sweden’s Henrik Stenson was stripped of his captaincy after making the leap to LIV Golf.

Rahm stated he did not plan to resign from both the PGA Tour or DP World Tour. Monahan has suspended PGA Tour members who competed in LIV Golf tournaments with out a conflicting-event launch.

“My place with the Ryder Cup stands because it’s all the time been,” Rahm stated. “I like the Ryder Cup. I’ve defined many occasions how significant it’s to me, and I absolutely hope I could be in future editions of the Ryder Cup.

“That is less than me proper now, but when it was as much as me, I will be eligible to play, so I absolutely hope I can sustain the nice golf, hold enjoying good golf and provides them a purpose to have me on the workforce. It is a huge threat to take, however I’ve had it in consideration and, once more, I am hopeful that I could be a part of the workforce once more.”

Rahm is the second reigning main championship winner to go away the PGA Tour for the LIV Golf League on the peak of his profession. In August 2022, Australia’s Cameron Smith signed with LIV Golf about six weeks after he picked up his first main championship on the a hundred and fiftieth Open Championship at St. Andrews Hyperlinks in Scotland.

Rahm received 11 occasions on the PGA Tour and picked up greater than $51.5 million in on-course earnings throughout his profession. This previous season, he received 4 occasions and pocketed about $16.5 million in purses. He’s a finalist for PGA Tour Participant of the 12 months.

In a press release, LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman referred to as Rahm a “generational expertise.”

“There are only a few athletes along with his pedigree of expertise, management, poise, and dedication to bringing progress to the game on a worldwide stage,” Norman stated. “We could not be extra excited to welcome Jon to the LIV Golf household because the league continues preparations for an enormous 2024 and past.”

Reigning LIV Golf particular person champion Talor Gooch informed ESPN that including Rahm brings credibility to the upstart circuit.

“It makes the entire naysayers assume a little bit bit about the entire doubts which have been made during the last couple of years,” Gooch stated. “It simply continues to struggle the narrative that there is not nice gamers at LIV and all these guys are previous their prime and so forth and so forth. He is a man that’s in all probability simply hitting his prime and that is been in all probability the perfect participant within the final 5 years.”

Rahm stated the course of the PGA Tour and its incapacity to finalize a take care of the PIF wasn’t a think about his determination.

“I am ceaselessly grateful for the PGA Tour and the platform they’ve allowed me to be on,” Rahm stated. “I imply, I’ve nothing dangerous to say about them. They’ve given me the chance to play the sport that I’ve all the time wished to play and compete in some nice occasions.

“That is simply extra about me and what I imagine is greatest for my profession, and like I stated, my probability to perhaps make a mark.”

Rahm stated he hopes golfers will someday be capable of play on a number of excursions and never have to decide on sides.

“I absolutely hope for the long run we are able to hold working in the direction of making choices that make golf higher, proper?” Rahm stated. “That is my place. My place is to play golf. That is what I began to do, play golf to the perfect of my skills and hopefully depart the sport in a greater place than I discovered it.”