Masters champion Jon Rahm has confirmed he is joining LIV Golf in a massive coup for the Saudi-funded breakout.
The Spaniard becomes the second current major champion on the LIV circuit after American PGA champion Brooks Koepka. After widespread reports this week that Rahm was on the verge of completing a controversial move from the PGA Tour, Rahm explained his decision in a conference call with the press on Thursday.
“Every decision we make in life, there's going to be someone who agrees and likes it, and someone who doesn't,” Rahm said. “I have made this decision because I believe it is what is best for me and my family. Everyone I've been able to talk to has been really supportive, so I feel very comfortable with my decision.
“I'm not a stranger to hearing negative things on social media or in the media,” the world number 3 added. “It's part of what it is, we're public figures, but you just learn to deal with it, right? This certainly will not define or change who I am.”
In a subsequent official statement, Rahm, 29, added. “I am proud to join LIV Golf and be part of something new that brings growth to the sport. I have no doubt that this is a great opportunity for me and my family and I am very excited about the future.”
Rahm is the biggest name to join LIV Golf, funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), since Cameron Smith joined shortly after winning the 2022 Open. He joins the likes of Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau in being lured away from the PGA Tour by the Rebel circuit.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report Rahm's impending defection, and on Thursday several media outlets broke the news ahead of his announcement. ESPN has claimed that Rahm's LIV contract is expected to be worth more than $300 million (£240 million) and will last at least three years.
ESPN also reports that LIV will also add a 13th team to their roster, putting Rahm at the helm, giving him an ownership stake and recruiting more PGA Tour players to join his team. What is not yet clear is how this move could affect the agreement between PIF and the PGA Tour, which has a December 31 deadline to be formally finalized.
Speaking in June, Rahm claimed that many PGA Tour players felt “betrayed” after news of the shock merger first emerged earlier that month. “I think the general feeling is that a lot of people feel somewhat betrayed by management,” he said.
“It's just not easy as a player who, like many others, has been involved, to wake up one day and see this bombshell,” Rahm added. “That's why we're all in some kind of limbo, because we don't know what's going on.”
The PGA Tour Commissioner, Jay Monahan, will meet with the PIF Governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, next week. Monahan has previously called the December 31 date “a hard deadline” for a final agreement.