Many around the golf world have varying opinions about Jon Rahm, the latest and perhaps the biggest defector from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf.
The 2023 Masters champion opened up about this decision Friday, and he didn’t shy away from perhaps the biggest reason he joined LIV, the ridiculous amount of money he and his family received.
Rahm appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, where he was asked how long LIV had been reaching out to him and what ultimately made him accept the deal.
“I told my agent under strict instructions not to bring it up to me until he thought it was a really good idea for me,” said Rahm. “So I do believe they have been talking to him since the beginning of LIV Golf. But they just never brought it up to me. This year, we thought it was good timing. Winning a major and being exempt for the majors. Making a bigger name for myself with the golf I’ve played the past few years.
“That’s when they brought it up to me. You know, the landscape of golf is ever-changing right now. After seeing LIV Golf in action, it obviously became a possibility. Now, I’m not going to duck the question and I’ll say it. Listen, obviously the money is very nice. I’m not gonna give you the whole spiel. I don’t play golf for the money. But as a father, as a husband, I do owe it to my family to set them up the best I can. So yeah, that was a big part of it.”
"The landscape of golf is ever changing and I thought it was good timing to join LIV Golf..
I'm not gonna duck the question and I'll say it.. obviously the money is very nice..
I'm not gonna comment on the numbers" 😂@JonRahmpga #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/zu0UVm2PnR
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 8, 2023
Most fans assumed that the money — reported to be between $500 and $600 million was a driving factor in this decision for Rahm. And they would clearly seem to be correct in that assessment.
Regardless, it is a monumental move for LIV Golf. Rahm is one of the best players in the world at the moment, which certainly legitimizes the league even further.
[Pat McAfee Show, Photo Credit: ESPN]
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.