LIV Golf’s biggest signing bonus as Jon Rahm linked with £475m move

Jon Rahm has been linked with a move to a LIV golf facility, making the Spaniard the latest major PGA Tour star to sign a mega-money deal.

The wealth of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has made the Middle East one of the biggest players in sports and one of the biggest forays into professional golf.

PIF decided to invest its finances in the LIV golf facility and a significant cash boost from the investment fund catapulted the leading group to the top of the golf pyramid. LIV’s meteoric rise hasn’t been quiet, with the game’s top circuit, the PGA Tour, doing everything it can to hinder the Saudi-backed league’s progress.

Unfortunately for the PGA Tour, the financial negotiations and division of the league helped attract some of the biggest names in the game, who ended up receiving lucrative signing bonuses. The latest celebrity to make the switch to Saudi Arabia is Masters champion Jon Rahm, and if the Spaniard checks the dotted line, he is expected to be the tournament’s biggest winner. Several recent reports have suggested that Rahm could receive 475 million pounds ($600 million) if he retires from the PGA Tour. Rahm’s relationship with the management team is an unconfirmed rumor at this point, but if it turns out to be true, the Masters LIV Golf champion will make history with a signing bonus. From Phil Mickelson to Brooks Koepka, take a look at some of the greatest autographs of all time. Phil Mickelson

LIV’s biggest coup was six-time champion Mickelson, and since his departure, South has become a prime example of a Saudi-funded series. In his infamous interview with the Fire Pit Collective, it was revealed that he declared his allegiance to the Rebel League just months before its formation in June 2022. Mikkelsen revealed his ties to the PIF, describing Saudi Arabia’s rulers as “horrible bastards” because of their poor human rights record. But the American made up his mind and was rewarded with a £159m ($200m) signing fee when he joined LIV. cam smith

The player who led LIV Golf to its best showing was Australian star Cam Smith. Just weeks after winning the St Andrews Open and declaring himself the second best golfer in the world, Smith has confirmed he has joined the Breakaway League. Smith later announced his decision, admitting it was a business decision in which money played a major role. Unsurprisingly, his move to Saudi Arabia earned the Australian a £113m (£143m) bonus. dustin johnson

The second celebrity to join Mickelson’s initial wave of defections was former Masters champion and PGA Tour sensation Dustin Johnson. Following Mickelson’s February 2022 comments from Saudi Arabia, Johnson “committed” to the PGA Tour, ruling out a Saudi move. However, the situation for the former world number one changed quickly. Four months later, it was announced that Johnson had indeed decided to sign a punt contract with Norman and company, and according to the Telegraph, it was a £100 million ($125 million) signing bonus that was enough to make him wave. hand. Brooks Koepka

Like Johnson, Koepka was one of several PGA Tour stars to commit to the US tour when rumors of a golf league in Saudi Arabia circulated early last year. He also decided to keep his promise by joining the LIV scene after the first Centurion event. “Someone will buy it and go,” the five-time champion said in a speech in February 2022 while discussing the potential of a rival Saudi league. And that person was Koepka himself, who was paid £79 million ($100 million) for changing his mind. Bryson DeChambeau

In the years leading up to the founding of LIV Golf, Koepka had a bitter rivalry with fellow star Bryson DeChambeau. Despite being rivals on the PGA Tour, the two quickly became allies when DeChambeau decided to join LIV last summer. Like Koepka, the former US Open champion was lured by the hefty offer of a £79 million ($100 million) signing bonus in exchange for the promise of submission to the Saudi-backed series.