Jon Rahm admits ‘your feelings do change’ when faced with large amount of money after his $500million defection to LIV Golf – despite previously claiming no sum of money would change his lifestyle

Jon Rahm has explained the motives behind his LIV Golf U-turn, admitting that money was a factor in the change in his feelings about leaving the PGA Tour for the Rebel circuit.

Rahm, 29, became LIV Golf’s biggest signing to date when he left the PGA Tour in December for a reported $500 million.

The move was a reversal from the Spaniard’s previous comments on the breakout, when he pledged allegiance to the PGA Tour and claimed no amount of money would change his life.

“Money is great, but then (my wife) Kelley and I started talking about it, and we thought, ‘Will our lifestyle change if I get $400 million?’ No, it won’t change anything,” Rahm said in 2022, ahead of the US Open.

After his LIV debut in Mexico last week, the reigning Masters champion talked about the motivation behind his turnaround.

The Spaniard made his debut in the breakaway last week after his $500 million defection

“I would say there were two cases,” Rahm said on the latest episode of GOLF’s ‘Breakthrough’.

“I think the dynamics started to change and there was a lot of division at the time. And yes, if I wanted to change, there had to be reasons beyond the money, right? So when I said that (in June 2022) I completely meant it and it was true. Now if they hit you in the face with a large amount of money, your feelings will indeed change.

“I try not to be a materialistic person, but I also owe it to my family to set them up for success as best I can, and I think having children has changed that quite a bit. So the money is part of it; I’m not gonna lie. But then again, when I said that, I didn’t quite know what I was saying because you don’t really understand it.”

However, it appears it wasn’t just money that opened the door to Rahm’s defection, as he admitted that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf truce, which was called through the June 6 framework agreement, also played a role.

“What opened the door a little bit was the agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV,” Rahm added. “So when that happened, I thought, we’re definitely coming together. Something is happening, so I at least owe it to myself to hear what they have to offer and what their vision is. I thought I owed it to myself to listen to them, and that’s what I did when the season was over.”

The Masters champion admitted the PGA Tour and LIV Golf truce also opened the door

Rahm played his first event on the Rebel circuit since his $500 million signing in December last week at El Camaleon in Mayakoba, Mexico.

He agonizingly failed to take home individual honors, bogeying his last two holes and missing a play-off with Sergio Garcia and eventual winner Joaquin Niemann.

However, he took some solace in a team victory for Legion XIII, LIV’s first expansion team, which he endorses.

Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, 19-year-old Caleb Surratt and qualifier Kieran Vincent took the team victory on their debut at 24 under.

Rahm’s team Legion XIII, with Kieran Vincent, Caleb Surratt and Tyrrell Hatton, won

But while he insisted he had no regrets about his decision to switch sides, Rahm did lament having missed a number of PGA Tour events while speaking to the media ahead of the second LIV event of the season in Las Vegas this week.

“I hope I can play some of those events again in the near future,” Rahm told reporters Tuesday at Las Vegas Country Club, the site of this week’s LIV Golf event. “I’d definitely love to go back and play some of those.

“If there is ever a way back and a way for us to play, even if it is as an invitation, then I will accept it. There are certain events that are special to me that I still want to support.”

“It was a lot harder being at home and not competing and knowing those events were happening,” he added. “Palm Springs and Torrey, those weeks were tough. I have explained so many times how important Torrey is to me.”