MoxVlog

What’s believed to be the largest player acquisition in professional golf history is official. Jon Rahm is heading to LIV Golf and a sport already fundamentally fractured might now have its largest bargaining chip.

Speaking to a small group of media Thursday afternoon, Rahm confirmed his departure from the PGA Tour and signature with LIV, saying the reason for his move is based solely on the offer LIV put in front of him and his desire to be part of the league.

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While terms of the deal have not been officially released and are not expected to be, as LIV has not done so with any of its other high-profile signings like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson or Brooks Koepka, The Telegraph reported it to be at $566 million.

All Rahm said Thursday afternoon is the deal is “obviously good enough for someone like me to want to consider it and see this thing through.”

As part of the deal, Rahm will take control of his own LIV team franchise and serve as captain of the league’s 13th team. Asked who will be joining him on that team, Rahm only responded, “You’re going to have to wait to find out.”

Figures aside, Rahm joining LIV represents something larger than any single contract. The 29-year-old is not only the first PGA Tour defect to LIV since the June 6 framework agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF, but he’s also the best young player to join LIV and will radically change the pedigree of competition. More than that, his departure is a severe blow to a PGA Tour that has prided itself on maintaining its hold on the elite of elite players. Such a claim is empty without Rahm, a two-time major winner with 52 weeks at No. 1 in the world on his resume.

Rahm was a tent pole in the PGA Tour’s stand against LIV. He remained faithful to the tour and openly questioned the quality of play on the team golf tour. That’s all changed this summer, it appears. Rahm said in June he was “blindsided” by the tour’s decision to partner with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) in a commercial business arrangement that will include LIV as a property. He said, “I think the general feeling is that a lot of people feel a bit of betrayal from management.”

Rahm didn’t expand on that with reporters Thursday, saying that he “never felt unheard” in how the PGA Tour was being managed and that Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s outsized role played “no role in the decision” to join LIV.

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What’s impossible to ignore is Rahm’s move comes with that framework agreement still hanging in the air. The timing of his move can both be seen as a major hindrance in the framework agreement being completed by its Dec. 31 deadline, as it changes LIV’s valuation and damages the PGA Tour, but can also be seen as a major chip for the PIF to force the tour’s hand in a deal.

Asked directly why he would leave the tour and join LIV without clarity on the construct of that deal, Rahm said he gave that no thought.

“(The timing) is exactly why I can confidently say that this had nothing to do with the PGA Tour or the deal or anything related to that,” Rahm said. “I like the LIV Golf product. I like the business. I like the idea of playing golf in counties I’ve never played golf before and being part of something that I really didn’t know was going to be a possibility growing up or even four years ago. This wasn’t a reality. It’s something really exciting to me and that’s why I’m so eager to be part of it.”

Asked if he hopes the framework deal is completed and there is unity between the tours, Rahm replied: “I hope whatever happens behind those doors is best for all of us and golf in general.”

This was how Rahm handled most of the time with reporters. Few opinions, little details. While the Spaniard has long been one of the most open, unfastened players on tour, he avoided any specific views on the state of the PGA Tour and the seismic impacts of his move. He said he “hasn’t really thought about” his move’s long-term effect on the tour he was a member of since 2016.

Rahm’s official career tournament earnings on the PGA Tour stand at $51.5 million. He earned a $9 million bonus in 2023 for his third-place ranking in the tour’s Player Impact Program.

While Rahm long appeared devoted to remaining with the tour, perceptions changed in early November when he pulled out of TGL, the new tech-infused golf league led by Woods and McIlroy. Some wondered if the decision was based on maintaining a lighter schedule. Now things are a little clearer.

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Reports of Rahm’s deal with LIV first surfaced last week, remaining unconfirmed day after day. Rahm said Thursday that he didn’t discuss his decision with even his closest friends, including LIV headliners Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. He said he didn’t want to “risk” the story leaking.

In hindsight, recent comments from the likes of Mickelson all now carry far more weight. During LIV’s team championship at Trump Doral in September, he said another “wave” of PGA Tour defections to LIV was imminent.

“Do I think that?” Mickelson said. “No. I know that’s going to happen.”

Even still, Rahm’s rumored move to LIV was still seen by many as purely speculative. In July, he told a Spanish podcast that he “laughs when people rumor me with LIV Golf.”

“I’ve never liked the format,” he said. “And I always have a good time with Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia in the practice rounds of majors. Phil respects my decision, and I respect his (choice). Mickelson has told me that I have no reason to go play for LIV, and he has told me that multiple times.”

Five months later, Rahm is the new face of LIV. He said Thursday that he hopes to offer advice to LIV leaders on “some changes.”

With Rahm onboard, LIV is now home to the winner of 14 of the last 27 majors, dating back to Dustin Johnson’s U.S. Open victory in 2016. In addition to his two major victories, Rahm has nine additional PGA Tour wins, along with eight victories on the European Tour.

As for the ensuing criticism that’s undoubtedly coming Rahm’s way:

“Every decision I feel like we make in life there will be somebody who agrees and likes it and somebody who doesn’t, right?” Rahm said Thursday. “I made this decision because I believe it’s the best for me and my family and everybody I’ve been able to talk to has been really supportive of me. So I’m very comfortable with my decision. I’m no stranger to hearing some negative things on social media or in media. It’s part of what it is, we’re public figures but you just learn to deal with it, right? This certainly won’t define who I am or change who I am.”

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Rahm’s biggest hang-up with leaving the PGA Tour and DP World Tour is the potential impact on his Ryder Cup status. He made his third career appearance for Team Europe in September and figured to be the team’s anchor for the next decade. This year, the European Team only included active members of the DP World Tour, leaving LIV players Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter on the shelf.

That, among other things, appears to simply be the cost of business, for both Rahm and the PIF.

Required reading

(Top photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

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