Jon Rahm provides an explanation of the controversial LIV judgment.

Jon Rahm explained the decision to bring him to LIV during a press conference Thursday night.

The press conference, like most LIV golf press conferences, began with an introduction by the moderator. But it wasn’t a LIV press release, it was a Zoom call. The small box contains several pages and names. About a minute later, one of the boxes flipped onto a blank screen to reveal face no. 3 John Rahm wearing a black LIV golf jacket.

The picture is not surprising. Rahm’s decision to join LIV was reported by several media outlets on Thursday, but still came as a surprise. This was the golfer’s first opportunity to see him in person and explain why his Ryder Cup status and his status on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour could be in jeopardy.

“What [LIV] offers is probably worth the risk of not playing in the Ryder Cup,” Rahm said Thursday in New York. He was asked if he would be willing to risk his future involvement.

“As I said, the decision was for me and my family. “So I think what’s best for me right now is worth risking the Ryder Cup.”

Rahm said the details of playing in a future Ryder Cup were his biggest hurdle in recent weeks as he and his team weighed their options. He told those closest to him that it had been “a few weeks without sleep”. Rahm has remained silent publicly despite the rumors that have circulated online in recent weeks. His representative declined to respond to a request for comment. His loved ones clung to him. This alone gives you an idea of its importance. Rahm, the odds-on favorite to win PGA Tour Player of the Year honors, has committed to playing golf for the new tour.

“I think a few people have texted me recently and said, ‘Who cares?’ I say, but?” Ram said. “But I can understand that. But then again, I think most of my friends would support me. And the few people I could talk to seemed like family and were already supportive, but it was hard. It was hard. This is a topic of conversation we hear every day on the golf course. People making jokes, people who think they know what they’re talking about, this and that. “It was difficult to focus on work or even practice.”

It was undoubtedly a difficult decision for Rahm, as some of his public statements over the past 18 months have been both supportive of the tournament and anti-LIV. Lahm even pledged his “commitment” to the February 2022 tour. In June 2022, “it’s a shotgun [start], a three-day golf tournament [event] with no discounts.” It’s simple. “I want to compete against the best in the world in a format that has been around for hundreds of years,” he said.

In August 2023, Rahm said that people laughed when they heard rumors about LIV Golf “because they never liked the format”. But now I subscribe to a 54-hole tournament format with shotguns and background music. At some point he changed his account. However, he seems willing to adopt the LIV format whenever possible. “I can live with some things,” Rahm said. “It’s a machine that’s always growing and changing, right? So I hope the leaders of LIV Golf will take my advice and see what changes can be made to improve the game in the future.”

As for the obvious connection that might have drawn him to the league, Rahm said his close friend Phil Mickelson, who is leaving the PGA Tour for LIV in 2022, played no role in his decision. He said he never discussed it with LIV golf instructor Sergio Garcia. He was unable to discuss the matter with Ryder Cup team captain Luke Donald, nor was he able to discuss his future on the DP World Tour with anyone on that tour.

It is clear that he still has a lot of work to do. But now, during a 30-minute press conference, he stood in front of reporters. And he basically followed the party line of previous LIV media after his PGA Tour expedition. Was it because of frustration with the PGA Tour? “I will always be grateful to the PGA Tour and the platform it has given me,” Rahm said. How important was he to the tradition of PGA Tour history? Are traditions and tournaments often mentioned?

“This is important,” Rahm said. “But what’s even better is being a trailblazer and creating a legacy that others will talk about in the future.”

Was money a factor?

“That’s one of the reasons. Yes. I’m not saying I lied to you. “That’s definitely one of the reasons.”

And financially, Rahm followed the playbook. He declined to comment on the details of the deal, which in recent years has been worth at least $300 million, but admitted he is excited to be a league partner, franchise owner and captain. team. Professional golf is facing a player ownership crisis, there are private equity funds floating around hoping to buy stakes in the PGA Tour, and LIV Golf already offers stakes in franchises.

Right now, in December 2023, Lam’s future is the team captain. Of course, Lahm was asked who will join the team he will manage. In that sense, she was a mother. “We’ll have to wait and see,” he said with a laugh.

But you know what? “We’ll have to wait and see.”