It Turns Out That Jon Rahm DID Have His Price

“Fifty-four holes, shotgun start, no cut is not a golf tournament to me. If they offered me $400 million I would still say no.”

That was what Jon Rahm had to say at the US Open in 2022. Well, LIV Golf offered him a reported £450m and it turns out that was his price.

Everybody, it seems, has a price.

Rahm said "I am proud to join LIV Golf and be part of something new that is bringing growth to the sport."

“I have no doubt that this is a great opportunity for me and my family and am very excited for the future."

Lawrence Burian, LIV Golf Chief Operating Officer added "LIV Golf is here to stay. The addition of Jon reemphasizes that our League is not slowing down. We are continuing to invest and build aggressively for LIV's long-term and exciting future."

Rory McIlroy said. "It’s disappointing. "The DP World Tour are going to have to rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup qualification because we can’t not have him at the Ryder Cup. I have played with him in three Ryder Cups and have loved every minute of it.

"I have nothing but good things to say about him. He wants to live his life the right way. You can’t judge somebody on what they feel is right for them at a specific time in their life. I love competing against him.

"If we keep going down this path then the only time the best players in the world are going to get together is at the four majors, and that cannot be good for golf. We need to find a way to bring everybody back together on a regular basis again.”

Rahm, the world No 3 and two-time major champion, has previously insisted he would not cross the divide, but the move ultimately proved irresistible.

The Spaniard’s Ryder Cup eligibility will now come under intense focus and, apart from Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, the most worried person in golf must be Luke Donald. The Europe captain will be acutely aware that he cannot do without the swashbuckling Spaniard if he is to retain the Ryder Cup in New York in 2025.

For Rahm, this is a huge U-turn after his previous statements. When LIV was still in its infancy in February 2022, he said: “This is my official, my one and only time I’ll talk about this, where I am officially declaring my fealty to the PGA Tour.”

Then, when LIV was up and running a few months later he said: “I’ve never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons. I play for the love of the game, and I want to play against the best in the world … I have always been interested in history and legacy, and right now the PGA Tour has that.”

Just three months ago, he said: “I laugh when people rumour me with LIV Golf. I never liked the format. My heart is with the PGA Tour.”

“When I first met Jon at the age of 17, I knew then that the golfing world was about to witness the birth of a new star. Jon has consistently validated that he is one of the top players in the world. He’s a generational talent who has proven his merit as a multiple major champion and tremendous ambassador for global golf by placing the game ahead of himself,” said LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman. “There are very few athletes with his pedigree of talent, leadership, poise, and commitment to bringing progress to the sport on a worldwide stage. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Jon to the LIV Golf family as the league continues preparations for a huge 2024 and beyond.”

Now that Jon Rahm has made his decision to join LIV Golf, a shake-up in the world of golf is inevitable.

Jon Rahm Speaks to David Feherty