LIV negotiations have taken a toll on the PGA Tour since 2022. The moves of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and other renowned players have taken a huge chunk of PGA Tour top-tier golfers by storm. While golfers like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy stayed loyal to the clan, there have been strong speculations regarding Jon Rahm’s probable move to LIV Golf. Although the golfer himself hasn’t spoken on this, Phil Mickelson’s controversial comment about Rahm being a ‘done deal’ for LIV, which he later denied, spiked curiosity regarding the future of the PGA Tour.
Also, Rahm’s close connections with Mickelson and his backing out of the Hero World Challenge and Tiger Woods’ tech-based league, TGL, trigger the prospect of his possible move. And this could be a shocking decision for many, including Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth, who have expressed their take on Rahm’s move.
PGA Tour Players Unhappy and Anxious About Jon Rahm’s Potential Switch to LIV Golf
Tiger Woods addressed this aspect of PGA Tour pros moving to LIV Golf in an interview. He said he’d be surprised if that ever happened. “I don’t – hypothetically would it surprise me? Yes, but there’s so many different things that have happened in the last…48 hours but also in the last few weeks”.
On the other hand, Jordan Spieth sees Rahm as an asset to the PGA Tour, and his departure might cause problems for the tour. “I’m not sure specifically how it would impact those negotiations, but all in all, Jon Rahm is one of the biggest assets that we have on the PGA Tour”.
As the PGA Tour approaches the deadline for finalizing the framework agreement, this switch might be a big shock for the tour. Now, there are other possibilities as well. If the PGA Tour doesn’t take up LIV as its financial backer, then it would just be a free-standing league with the world’s best golfers as rivals. It seems LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman has taken advantage of the moment. Rahm’s switch now depends upon the decisions of the PGA Tour, where he’s a pawn in the gambling. Perhaps if the PGA Tour had agreed to the demands of the PIF, they would never have lured Rahm with a lucrative deal, and that would have been peaceful.
Another piece of news that has aired this week is the urge of the PGA Tour golfers to have a meeting with the leadership regarding the agreement and its proceedings. This petition also highlights the grievances from their side, which need to be addressed immediately.
The situation of the players has become money-minded now, and loyalty is on a steady decline, with hefty deals coming their way thanks to the Saudi PIF. Golfers who are assured access to majors and, on the other hand, receive chunks of money are more likely to have a business mind. While some are loyal to the tour, like Rory McIlroy, who once called himself a ‘sacrificial lamb’ for the PGA Tour, the tour never gave back enough to the golfers, as much as they served.
Right now, LIV Golf is a growing league with developing prospects, whereas the PGA Tour is trying to gather as much money as possible for its own benefit. Only the future can answer whether the tour or the Greg Norman-backed league sustains. And with the merger falling short of a structure and on track to miss the December 31st deadline, the future of the sport stands uncertain, as does the future of its players.
