Jon Rahm spoke candidly about his decision to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour by saying, “Money was an issue”
Former number-one ranked player and 2023 Master’s Champion Jon Rahm sat down recently for a candid interview On The Pat McAfee Show. During the discussion, the golfer admitted to the host that his transition to LIV Golf from the PGA was motivated by money.
Rahm’s recent announcement on December 7 that he would be joining the Saudi-funded golf tour, which was originally launched as a direct competitor to the Pro Golfer’s Association. And by competition? That meant money – with huge contracts being doled out to megastars like Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson.
At the time, Rahm was very vocal about the new league and those who had jumped ship to join it, famously stating that $400 million would not change his life and that he played for “history and legacy”.
That’s what made Rahm’s signing – for what’s estimated to be around $500 million – seem a bit hypocritical to some. That backlash came despite news that the PGA is continuing negotiations to merge with LIV anyway. And reports indicate this move to ‘steal’ Rahm away won’t affect the talks. So it’s essentially water under the bridge. Still, the golfer wanted to speak about his actions.
When talking with McAfee, Rahm said that he was very cautious about the move. However, he was refreshingly candid when he stated that, yes… he indeed, did take the money and ran. But he took everything into account first.
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“I had my agent under strict instructions: Until you think this is a really good idea for me, don’t bring it up,” Rahm stated in the interview. “So I do believe they were talking to [LIV] since the beginning of LIV Golf, they just never brought it up to me.”
Despite the backlash toward LIV Golf and his own move, Rahm says that in the end, he feels the short sags between the two factions will lead to a better game in the end.
“I can’t really speak on what their plan is for all this and their future, but clearly they’re trying to create a positive impact in sports,” he said. “And, you know, I’m happy that in a small way, I can maybe help with that.”
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