I won’t let him return to the PGA Tour: Tiger Woods releases official statement on Jon Rahm’s return to the PGA Tour and here’s why
LIV Golf splashed out big money to sign Jon Rahm last year, with the Spaniard joining dozens of other big stars who have defected to join the Saudi-backed separatist tour.
Last December, Jon Rahm became LIV Golf’s latest high-profile player in what was an absolutely disgusting blow to the PGA Tour.
The move came as a surprise, given the Spaniard’s past comments about the separatist tour. He had previously debated the PGA’s history and defended its legacy, before mocking LIV Golf’s 54-hole format and insisting he had no intention of being tempted by the huge contract offered by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), according to The Exile.
But to everyone’s surprise, the 29-year-old signed the deal, becoming the highest-paid player in golf’s history.
The transaction was announced a few months after the news appeared for the potential partnership between PGA and LIV.
Nevertheless, the structure of the partnership has not yet been agreed, and VIV players have received green light to compete at four major events in PGA, but the complete cooperation in two laps is another time. is. Here, the Mirror looks at Lam’s situation and what the future holds for the former world number one.
Lam’s record deal with LIV Golf
Lam’s defection last year attracted a lot of attention, not just because of past comments he made about LIV, but also because money was involved. The 2023 Masters champion has reportedly signed an ambitious $500 million (£386 million) deal, the biggest contract in LIV Golf’s history, beating the previous record held by Phil Mickelson’s £160 million deal for 2022.
Lam’s contract runs through 2028 and reportedly includes participation in Saudi-backed tours, use of the Saudi royal family’s private jet and a team of 10 personal assistants to provide around-the-clock care for Lam and his family.
Rahm was previously one of a handful of top golfers, along with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, to commit their futures to the PGA Tour after the emergence of LIV Golf.
After his defection, the Spaniard tried to contact his former tour teammate, and although McIlroy supported him, Woods apparently kept Rahm on the sidelines.
“So, Tiger, I wrote to him and to anyone trying to contact the process when I signed my contract and just said, ‘Look, this is a personal decision.’ I have no grudge against anybody,” Rahm told ESPN in February.
“Rory has supported my decision both publicly and privately,” Rahm said, alluding to Woods’ failure to respond to his messages. He also refused to hide accusations that his decision to quit the PGA was motivated by money. “This is a new change. Big change.
What you don’t want to miss about this is that there’s a big change in how golfers get paid, and I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t a big part of it. “In short, the more time you spend practicing the same sport, the more benefits you get. I don’t know about most people, but for me it’s great,” he said. Rahm’s stutter at LIV Golf Rahm may be the highest-paid player in the history of golf, but his game says otherwise. Many expected him to start winning titles at the start of the year, but the two-time major champion is yet to record a single win on tour. Speaking before the 10th event of the season in Andalusia, in his native Spain, Rahm insisted on the format of 54 holes – a format which he once labeled the “not appropriate” golf – did not have any impact on its form.
That said, he urged the powers to consider going to 72 holes. He also gave himself a “six out of 10” on his campaign, stressing that he just needs to find consistency. “There were weeks where I felt like I scored a lot more points than I thought I would,” he told reporters. “And it was a few weeks that could be better.
“[I] has not yet won, so it’s a little in [My rating of the season]. If I had to say, I would say maybe six out of ten. But the year is not over. There’s still a lot of work to be done.
He may be public enemy number one in the PGA world, but that hasn’t stopped Rahm from envisioning a future on the tour. Speaking before the Masters in April, he acknowledged that he “still loves” the PGA Tour, adding that he “hopes to get back out there and compete.” »
“At the end of the day, I did what I thought was best for me and my family,” he said.
