Jon Rahm made the controversial decision to join LIV Golf back in 2023 and later revealed that staunch critic Tiger Woods did not respond to his message
Jon Rahm shakes hands with Tiger Woods(Image: Getty Images)
Jon Rahm’s decision to jump ship from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf has not gone down well with golf icon Tiger Woods. The former US Open and Masters champion, Rahm, sent shockwaves through the golf community when he agreed to join the rival tour in 2023.
Before his switch to LIV, Rahm had been steadfast about sticking with the PGA. The Spanish star had previously brushed off the idea that the lucrative contracts offered by LIV would sway him, before making a surprising 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. It comes after Rahm made a drastic adjustment for his LIV Golf appearance.
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“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 reportedly joined LIV in a deal worth up to $590 million. Additionally, as a two-time individual champion on the LIV Golf tour, he earns an impressive amount in prize money, which may explain why he was enticed to leave the PGA.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Rahm has banked $52 million after competing in just 24 LIV events. By comparison, the two-time major champion accumulated $51 million in prize money across 153 tournaments on the PGA Tour.
Jon Rahm with the LIV golf season individual trophy(Image: Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
National Club Golfer reports that Rahm’s overall LIV prize money stands at an eye-watering $74.9 million, which includes a combined $36 million for his two individual season victories. However, not everyone was pleased when Rahm accepted LIV’s nine-figure offer.
Following his switch to LIV, Rahm revealed that golfing legend Woods didn’t respond 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.
Jon Rahm announced he was joining LIV Golf in December 2023(Image: Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
“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’ radio silence, Rahm disclosed that Rory McIlroy did get back to him. “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 during Team Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph at Bethpage Black last month. Rahm chipped in three points to Europe’s 15-13 victory over Team USA.
