Surprising commentary on Jon Rahm’s LIV leave from Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth spoke with Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press about Jon Rahm’s departure from LIV.
If you listen to the crowd Thursday night, there were a few reasons why Jon Rahm decided to leave the PGA Tour for LIV for hundreds of millions of dollars. One was the fame and legacy that came with being the face of the professional golf tour. Another opportunity was to grow golf in its native Spain, where LIV hosts the annual event. A third person said Rahm was tired of being left out of Tour decision-makers and decided to express his displeasure by leaving the Tour.
But the most popular theory about Rahm’s departure from LIV was the simplest. He wanted money. Backed by nearly $1 trillion in Saudi Arabian government public investment funds, LIV had all the money in the world to give Jon Rahm. So LIV offered him life-changing money (at least $300 million by most accounts), and Rahm took the bait. Money is the least common factor in golf in 2023 and is at the heart of every debate about the future of the sport. Ram ran away after seeing the money. But Jordan Spieth doesn’t think so.
Spieth, who was Rahm’s compatriot on the PGA Tour, has a unique perspective on the state of golf. As one of six player directors on the tour’s top advisory committee, Spieth is involved in high-level discussions about the future of professional golf. The debate centered on whether the tournament should welcome an investment partner (or two) and pour billions of dollars into the tournament in exchange for capital. PIF certainly stands out among these potential partners. In an interview with Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press, Spieth felt the real reason Rahm skipped the LIV had more to do with his golf situation than the state of his bank account. That said, Spieth said that as much as the money helped, the current position of the PGA Tour affected Rahm’s decision. “I don’t think it’s about the money for him,” Spieth said. “I think he saw two places that weren’t doing well and said, ‘We’d better have some money.’
In reality, Spieth’s logic is hard to argue with. Although the PGA Tour and LIV are very different, they are in similar turmoil. The tour is reeling from the devastating impact of the LIV Golf debacle and three years of financial difficulties. LIV is usually caused by a lack of juice or a plot on weekly products. The biggest difference is that players have to choose a side. LIV offers nine-figure payouts to the top players on the PGA Tour. Gethin is undoubtedly good, which helps explain why Rahm decided to buy him. Why did Jon Rahm go to LIV? The answer is simpler than you think
Rahm’s decision also impacts ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and the PIF, with the Tour calling on the Saudis to find a way forward and end the state of chaos and mayhem in professional golf. “They played really well,” Spieth said of the Saudis. “I think we have the best arm, but they know what our arm is. “It’s a positive influence on everything that’s going on.”
In fact, he did. Spieth will now be part of the team tasked with determining the status of the PIF and deciding the future of the Tour over the next 19 days. A meeting this week between tournament commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi decision-maker Yasir Al-Rumayan could help shift the balance, but any deal will depend on the approval of Spieth and the rest of the policy committee.
In short, we will soon find out what the future of golf looks like, and I am confident that, like everything else in golf, it is about money.
