Clip of Jon Rahm insisting his ‘heart is with the PGA Tour’ resurfaces as the Masters champion jumps ship to LIV Golf after inking eye-watering deal worth ‘upwards of $570MILLION’
A clip of Jon Rahm insisting he wouldn't give up the PGA Tour for a nine-figure sum has resurfaced amid reports the Spaniard made just today.
The Masters champion has become the Rebels circuit's biggest coup, with The Telegraph reporting he has completed a $570 million deal to jump ship.
At one point, however, the idea of the 28-year-old quitting the PGA Tour seemed unfathomable, with Rahm adamant that he would remain loyal.
Rahm emphasized that his heart was with the PGA Tour during a press conference at the US Open in June 2022 and, with an announcement confirming his signing expected soon, a video of his comments has once again gone viral on social media.
“Shot gun, three days for me is no golf tournament, no cut,” said the two-time major winner, referring to LIV's 54-hole format.
A clip of Jon Rahm insisting he would not join LIV Golf has resurfaced this week
The Spaniard previously pledged allegiance to the PGA Tour (photo, commissioner Jay Monahan)
According to reports, Rahm has officially jumped ship from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf
'I want to play against the best in the world in a format that has been around for hundreds of years. Would my lifestyle change if I got $400 million? Not at all,” he added, hinting that he had been offered and turned down a lucrative deal by Greg Norman and his band of merry men.
“Honestly, I could retire now with what I've earned and live a very happy life and never play golf again.
“So I never really played golf for financial reasons. I play for the love of the game and I want to play against the best in the world. I've always been interested in history and heritage, and right now the PGA Tour has that.
“It's meaningful when you win the Memorial Championship. There's significance when you win Arnold Palmer's event at Bay Hill. It has a significance when you win, LA, Torrey, some of the historic sites. That's very important to me, right. After winning the last US Open, only me and Tiger won at Torrey Pines, and it's a golf course we like, with putts on the 18th hole. That's a memory I'll have forever that not many people can say. My heart belongs to the PGA Tour. That's all I can say.'
However, Rahm did admit that he could understand some of the arguments that other players had made for LIV's appeal.
But the US Open was not the first nor the only time Rahm had declared his allegiance to the PGA Tour.
“I just wanted to take this time to say that this is my official, one and only time to talk about this, where I officially declare my allegiance to the PGA Tour,” Rahm said ahead of the 2022 Genesis Invitational as conversation picked up on LIV Golf Launch.
“I am a member of the PAC (Player Advisory Council) and have great confidence in Jay Monahan and the product.
It marks a massive coup for the Saudi-backed leading group (pictured left, PIF Governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and right, LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman)
“There has been a lot of talk and speculation about the Saudi league and it's just not something that I think is best for me and my future in golf. I think the best legacy I can achieve is on the PGA Tour.
'Everyone is free to make their own choice, it's that simple. All I can say is to someone as young as I am and who still has his whole future ahead of him: that doesn't seem smart. Again, the only attraction I see is financial, right? So like I said before, I think there's a lot more to play for on the PGA Tour besides just money. There is history, there is legacy. At the end of the day, I do this to win tournaments, I do this to play against the best in the world.”
But six months after US Open Tour commissioner Jay Monahan's U-turn to declare an alliance with LIV mainstays Saudi PIF, Rahm has pulled off his own U-turn.
The move wasn't much of a shock, however, as there have been signs of a possible defection in recent months, including pulling out of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TGL venture.
But, unlike in the past, Rahm had remained silent on the rumors rather than publicly shutting them down, which only increased speculation that he was preparing to leave the PGA Tour.