LIV Golf star Jon Rahm’s emotional message to PGA Tour speaks volumes

Spanish superstar Jon Rahm’s controversial switch from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf earned him a historic payday – but the ramifications of the move appear to be hitting home for the golfer

LIV Golf rebel Jon Rahm has admitted he is hoping that the PGA Tour offers him a route back to playing in events on the American circuit as he reflected on what he has left behind following his blockbuster switch.

The Spanish superstar stunned the world of golf when he jumped ship to the Saudi Arabian tour after being coaxed to the tune of a £450million ($566.4m) contract. This staggering deal, which is spread over five years put him among Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and LeBron James in the pantheon of sport’s highest-paid athletes.

Securing the reigning Masters victor’s services arguably represented the biggest coup in the history of LIV, especially following a bumper year for the World No. 3. After winning PGA Tour events in 2023, however, it appears that the ramifications of his decision to depart for LIV are beginning to sink in for Rahm.

The 29-year-old has now spoken candidly about his not having any regrets about the move, while admitting that he will find it difficult to miss out on playing at some of his favourite tournaments moving forward. Amid his ban from PGA Tour events, he addressed the subject before a LIV Golf event at the Las Vegas Country Club.

Speaking as he prepared for his first LIV event on American soil, he admitted: “I’m hoping that in the near future I can be back playing some of those events. I would certainly love to go back and play some of them,” he remarked, as he pushed for an olive branch to be extended.

“If there’s ever a way back and a way where we can play, even if it’s as an invite, I will take it. There’s certain events that are special to me that I would still love to support,” he continued, going on to confess: “It was a lot harder to be at home not competing and know that those events were going on.”

The two-time major winner then earmarked some of the events that he has particularly missed featuring at including at Palm Springs and Torrey. In the case of the latter, that course holds a special place in his heart, having been the site of his 2021 US Open victory.

“Palm Springs and Torrey, those weeks were hard. I’ve explained so many times how important Torrey is for me, he acknowledged, before expressing sorrow at missing out on playing at the WM Phoenix Open. “Driving by Phoenix as often as I had to and knowing that I wasn’t going to play there, it’s definitely emotional. That’s one of the things that I’m going to miss.”

Still, it appears that Rahm stands by the call to give up his spot on the PGA Tour in favour of a move to the LIV Golf circuit, having now made his bow on the Saudi Arabian tour. He featured at Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, while leading his Legion XIII team to an inaugural win under his tutelage.

Keeping his focus set sternly on future matters, Rahm continued: “I’m not typically a person that’s going to regret any decisions. I made as educated a decision as I could with the full support of the people around me, and [I’m] confident that it was the right thing for me. So I’m not going to regret it.”

“It’s definitely different,” Rahm admitted of the LIV Golf tour. “For people watching, the atmosphere, the music, it’s different, but I think it’s very entertaining. It gives the crowd a level of engagement that I wasn’t expecting. Everybody seemed really into the music and into the golf, and it was really fun to play before a crowd that was enjoying it so much.”