Two-time major winner Jon Rahm, the reigning Masters champion, has joined LIV Golf.
Rahm will compete in the LIV Golf League beginning next season, which kicks off February 2-4, 2024, at LIV Golf Mayakoba in Mexico.
“I am proud to join LIV Golf and be part of something new that is bringing growth to the sport,” said Rahm. “I have no doubt that this is a great opportunity for me and my family and am very excited for the future.”
The 29-year-old has amassed 20 wins, including the 2023 Masters, 2021 U.S. Open, and the DP World Tour Championship three times (2017, 2019, 2022). The Spaniard has played in three consecutive Ryder Cups, helping lead Team Europe to victory in 2018 and 2023. This year, Rahm won four times while also finishing tied for second in the 151st Open Championship and tied for fifth in the DP World Tour Championship.
Throughout his career, Rahm has earned 93 top-10 finishes with accolades including 2021 PGA of America Player of the Year, two-time European Tour (DP World Tour) Golfer of the Year, and 2019 European Tour Race to Dubai Winner. Before turning pro, Rahm was the world’s No. 1-ranked amateur for a record 60 weeks, and twice won the Ben Hogan Award at Arizona State University as the nation’s top collegiate golfer.
The Rahm news was first reported on Fox News though he did an online interview with a select group of reporters from around the world.
The Telegraph was one of them and reported that Rahm admitted that signing with LIV Golf in a record deal worth upwards of £450 million is a “big risk” to his Ryder Cup Cup future, even if Rory McIlroy told Sky Sports that the Ryder Cup rules will now have to change to ensure he’s in Bethpage in 2025.
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“The Ryder Cup was the biggest hurdle for me before joining,” the world No 3 said on Thursday night.”
The first $300m of the $500-plus million he is to be paid will be paid up front with the rest following as bonuses and as part of a team franchise that he will own. But the magnitude of the settlement could be even bigger for golf.
“I had a really good offer in front of me and I’ve done it for my family,” Rahm said.
He added: “The money is great. It’s wonderful, but what I’ve said before is true. I do not play golf for the money. I play golf for the love of the game and for the love of golf, but as a husband and as a father and family man, I have a duty to my family to give them the best opportunities and the most amount of resources possible.
Rory McIlroy’s thoughts on Jon Rahm signing up to LIV pic.twitter.com/RsfkbFs7Mp
— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) December 8, 2023
“But my goal with this is to grow the game of golf, to make it better whatever that may be. I’m an ambitious person but I’m not a greedy one. I know I can’t have everything, so there’s some things I’ll have to sacrifice and right now, that seems one I can live with.”
He sat down with David Feherty to give his reasons and spoke of growing the game, especially in Spain.
On the Ryder Cup and Luke Donald
“It’s been a very close circle [conducting the deal],” Rahm told Telegraph Sport. “I wish I would have been able to call Luke and give him a heads-up but unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position where I could do that.”
Rahm on his U-Turn
As for his u-turn on his LIV stance — he said this summer “I laugh when people rumour me with LIV Golf. I never liked the format. My heart is with the PGA Tour” — he admitted money was the big factor.
“I mean, I’m not gonna sit here and lie to you – so it’s [money] definitely one of the reasons,” he said. “But the team aspect of things is absolutely key…. As far as the negotiations go, I hope whatever happens behind those doors, it’s best for all of us for golf in general. I’m a fan of the sport. So whatever is going to help get golf to the next level and make it more global. I hope that’s what happens.”
Article Link: Rahm signs for LIV Golf: “I had a really good offer in front of me and I’ve done it for my family" - News - Irish Golf Desk