Jon Rahm has once again expressed his positive outlook on the merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Appearing on the Chipping Forecast podcast, the Spaniard discussed how his switch can be a tipping point in accelerating the merging process.
Rahm, who previously mentioned that both the tours can easily coexist alongside each other without any rivalry, also proposed that if the LIV league adjusts their events’ format to 72 holes of play instead of the current 56 holes of play, it could facilitate the unification process, ultimately benefiting men’s professional golf by allowing all of the world’s top players to compete together.
Jon Rahm said:
“I think I could be the start of a tipping point, yeah. I understood the weight that that decision could have and the impact it could have. Yes. I understood that perfectly. That’s why it wasn’t such an easy decision.”
Jon Rahm is optimistic the PGA Tour and LIV are close to a deal:
“Now Yasir, his excellency, and the PGA Tour board have had a meeting, right. There’s definitely some discussions that haven’t been there in the past. If anything we’re closer to some kind of unification than…
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He further suggests how LIV should follow the F1 model:
“I might not have not been vocal in media, but I’ve told exactly those words where we need to follow the F1 model. I’ve told both tours. In fact a lot of things LIV have done has been based on formula 1, so I would be really happy to do that. I think if we are to take golf to the next level we are going to have to be playing worldwide. That’s the main thing. And you want to have the best players world so I would love to see that. If there was ever a way that LIV could go to 72 holes I think it would help all of this argument a lot.”
It is important to note that, meetings to discuss a potential merger have been happening repeatedly, yet no definitive outcome has emerged from these discussions. However, holding onto a hopeful outlook for the merger, Jon Rahm is set to defend his title against fellow PGA Tour competitors at the forthcoming Masters.
Can Jon Rahm defend his Green Jacket at the Masters this year?
Jon Rahm is one of the 13 golfers who are joining the Augusta Nationals Golf Club this week. Last year, the 29-year-old golfer made a stunning finish as he defeated Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka with a four-stroke margin to clinch his second major tournament title.
Rahm also had a phenomenal season in 2023 on the PGA Tour with four wins to his name. However, he was unable to defend the title this year in three of them due to his involvement with the LIV league. Nonetheless, the golfer has given top-10 finishes five times at the LIV events so far.
Also, although Jon Rahm has switched to the Saudi backend, he is currently a 13-1 favorite in the 2024 Masters odds. If he triumphs in the event, he will become the fourth player to win the Masters in consecutive years. Jack Nicklaus (1965 and 1966), Nick Faldo (1989 and 1990), and Tiger Woods (2001 and 2002) have been able to achieve this feat so far.
It is important to note that the defending champion is also looking forward to treating the past winner with a Basque-themed champions dinner, scheduled on Tuesday, April 9th.
With just a few days remaining for the Augusta event to begin, it remains to see how Jon Rahm will perform and whether or not he will become the fourth golfer to win the Masters tournament back-to-back.
