I WON’T ALLOW HIM COME BACK TO PGA: Tiger Woods release official statement on Jon Rahm’s PGA Tour return, gives reasons below
LIV Golf broke the bank to secure Jon Rahm’s signature last year, with the Spaniard joining dozens of elite-level stars by defecting to the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway tour
Back in December, Jon Rahm became the latest high profile capture for LIV Golf in what was an absolutely sickening blow to the PGA Tour.
The move came as something of a surprise given the Spaniard’s past comments about the breakaway tour. Previously, he’d talked up the PGA’s history and championed its legacy, before deriding LIV Golf’s 54-hole format and insisting he wasn’t tempted by the gargantuan contracts the competition – bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) – was offering defectors.
But in a shock twist, the 29-year-old signed on the dotted line, reportedly becoming the highest-paid player in the history of golf. The deal was announced several months after news of a potential partnership between the PGA and LIV broke.
However, the framework of the partnership is yet to be agreed, and although LIV players have been given the green light to compete at any of the PGA’s four major events, total collaboration between the two tours is still some way off. Here, The Mirror takes a look at Rahm’s situation and what the future holds for the former World No. 1.
Rahm’s record-breaking LIV Golf deal
Rahm’s defection last year turned plenty of heads, not only due to his past statements about LIV but also because of the money involved. According to reports, the 2023 Masters champion signed an eye-bulging $500million (£386m) deal – the biggest contract in LIV Golf history.
It surpassed the £160m deal Phil Mickelson was handed in 2022, which previously held the record. Rahm’s contract runs until 2028 and reportedly includes shares in the Saudi-backed tour, use of one of the Saudi Royal Family’s private jets, and a team of 10 personal assistants who provide round-the-clock care for him and his family.
Previously, Rahm was one of the few high profile golfers, along with the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, to pledge his future to the PGA Tour following the emergence of LIV Golf. After defecting, the Spaniard made efforts to contact his former tour-mates, and while McIlroy has been supportive, Woods has apparently left Rahm on read.
“I mean, Tiger, I texted him and the people that try to reach out, you know, the process, when I signed and I just let him know, ‘Hey, you know, this is a personal decision. I have nothing against anybody’,” Rahm told ESPN in February.
After hinting that Woods hadn’t answered his texts, Rahm said: “Rory has been supportive publicly of my decision, and he was privately as well.” He also refused to shy away from accusations that his decision to quit the PGA was motivated by money.
“This is a new change. A big change. I don’t want to skip through this point: A big change how golfers get compensated. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a big part of it. In a nutshell, I’m getting more to play the same sport and have more time. I don’t know about most people, but that sounds great to me,” he said.
Rahm’s stuttering start with LIV Golf
Despite being the highest-paid player in the history golf, Rahm isn’t exactly playing like it. It was widely assumed he’d start racking up titles as soon as the year began, but the two-time major champion hasn’t registered a single victory on the tour yet.
Speaking ahead of the 10th event of the season in Andalucia, in his native Spain, Rahm insisted the 54-hole format – a format he once labelled “not proper” golf – wasn’t having an impact on his form. That said, he has urged the powers that be to consider switching to 72 holes.
He also gave himself “a six out of 10” for the campaign thus far, and stressed that he just needed to find some consistency. “There’s been weeks where I feel like I scored a lot better than I felt,” he told reporters. “And there’s been a couple weeks where it could have been better.
“[I] haven’t won yet so that would deduct quite a bit from [my rating for the season]. I would say maybe six out of 10 if I had to say. But the year is not over. [There is] still a lot to play for.”
He might be public enemy number one in PGA circles but that hasn’t stopped Rahm from imagining a future back on the tour. Speaking ahead of the Masters in April, he admitted he “still loves” the PGA Tour, adding: “I hope I can compete there again.”
“At the end of the day, I did what I thought was best for me and my family,” he said spe
