After weeks of speculation that Jon Rahm would be joining LIV Golf, finally, on Thursday, the two-time major winner declared his decision to join the PIF-funded league. Rahm is the reigning Masters champion and finds himself in the third position on the OWGR roster.
His backing out of Tiger Woods‘ tech-based league, the TGL, and the Hero World Challenge, also hosted by the golf legend, had people guessing that something serious was indeed afoot, and the Spaniard, who stayed silent throughout the ruckus, has finally decided to shake hands with the LIV circuit. On Thursday, Rahm also spoke about why he took this vital decision.
Jon Rahm’s Excuse for Switching to LIV Golf
After the announcement, Jon Rahm went ahead and justified his decision in a press conference:
“Every decision I feel like we make in life there will be somebody who agrees and likes it and somebody who doesn’t, right. 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.”
Added to that, he also affirmed that he knew what was being said about him in the media and how people were going to take this news, but all that doesn’t define or change him:
“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.”
Rahm didn’t go into much detail on this matter, but he would be having his own team, as per the official LIV Golf website.
Drop a Rahmbo team name prediction #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/jl0nL2tmcV
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) December 8, 2023
Given the speculations now about Rahm’s future with the Ryder Cup, the 2023 Masters champion also talked about his thoughts on the Ryder Cup.
“I love the Ryder Cup. I’ve explained many times how meaningful it is to me and I surely hope I can be in future editions of the Ryder Cup”.
He expects to play good golf at the biennial tournament. Rahm previously didn’t like the format of LIV Golf. He showed censures about the shotgun start without cuts. But now his views have changed massively, and he sees the league as a growing association.
“I think the growth that I’ve seen and how it’s become a global business, right, and how we can impact golf globally, and in a much meaningful way”.
Rahm is precisely a huge asset for the LIV league, and his switching Tours is a big drawback for the PGA Tour. What becomes of the relations between the two tours going forward with the framework agreement deadline so close? Only time will tell.
