Jon Rahm’s move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf hasn’t gone down well with golfing icon Tiger Woods. The former US Open and Masters winner shocked the sport when he signed with the breakaway circuit in 2023.
Prior to his departure, Rahm had been vocal about his commitment to the PGA. The Spanish golfer had previously rejected suggestions that LIV’s substantial financial packages would tempt him, before his unexpected U-turn.
“Money is great, but when [wife] Kelley and I… this first thing happened, we started talking about it, and we’re like, will our lifestyle change if I got $400million? No, it will not change one bit,” Rahm said during the 2022 US Open.
“Truth be told, I could retire right now with what I’ve made and live a very happy life and not play golf again. So I’ve never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons.
“I play for the love of the game, and I want to play against the best in the world. I’ve always been interested in history and legacy, and right now the PGA Tour has that.”
Rahm is believed to have signed with LIV in a contract valued at up to $590 million. Furthermore, having won twice as an individual competitor on the LIV Golf circuit, he collects substantial prize money, which could shed light on his decision to depart the PGA.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Rahm has banked $52 million from just 24 LIV tournaments. By comparison, the two-time major champion collected $51 million in prize money across 153 PGA Tour events.
National Club Golfer reports that Rahm’s complete LIV earnings total a staggering $74.9 million, which includes a combined $36 million from his two individual season championships. However, not everyone celebrated when Rahm accepted LIV’s nine-figure deal.
Following his move to LIV, Rahm revealed that golfing legend Woods never responded to his text message. He told ESPN in February 2024: “I mean, Tiger, I texted him and the people that try to reach out, you know, the process, when I signed.
“And I just let him know, ‘Hey, you know, this is a personal decision. I have nothing against anybody.’ This is a new change. A big change. I don’t want to skip through this point: A big change how golfers get compensated.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a big part of it. In a nutshell, I’m getting more to play the same sport and have more time. I don’t know about most people, but that sounds great to me.”
Despite Woods’ silence, Rahm confirmed that Rory McIlroy did respond. “Rory has been supportive publicly of my decision, and he was privately as well,” Rahm shared.
The 30 year old was one of McIlroy’s teammates when Team Europe secured the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black last month. Rahm contributed three points to Europe’s 15-13 victory over Team USA.
