05 December 2023 , 09:11
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Rumours linking Jon Rahm with a $600million (£475m) switch from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf aren't going away anytime soon.
LIV chiefs are trying to persuade the reigning Masters champion, who has often seemed reluctant to criticise the Saudi-backed circuit, to become one of their leading stars. And it's easy to see why he would leave the PGA Tour after Rory McIlroy's recent payday.
McIlroy won the Player Impact Program last month, an award given to the golfer with the largest impact on the PGA Tour's finances. The prize, which also recognises McIlroy's ability to grow the sport, was established in 2021 - shortly before the LIV tour emerged.
The award came with a handsome $15m (£12m) cheque, but that simply doesn't compare to the amounts of money LIV chiefs are offering their biggest stars. If rumours are to be believed, Rahm could be about to become LIV's best-paid superstar.
It remains unclear whether Rahm will accept LIV's offer. Speaking last year, he urged his colleagues to be "thankful" about the emergence of LIV, as it persuaded the PGA Tour to up their game. He can also "see the appeal that other people see towards LIV".
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Rahm, who's also won the US Open, has criticised LIV's 54-hole format and wants to continue playing in golf's biggest events. "Shotgun three days to me is not a golf tournament, no cut," the Spaniard has previously admitted. "It's that simple."
Yet LIV stars are continuing to play in golf's biggest events, with Brooks Koepka winning this year's PGA Championship. Koepka also played as a wildcard in October's Ryder Cup. The appeal of joining LIV is greater if such tournaments are still on the table.
Rory McIlroy's recent payday is a reminder of just how much more money Rahm can earn with LIV (Getty Images)Do you think Jon Rahm will leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf? Let us know in the comments below!
PGA Tour loyalists are trying to persuade Rahm to stay on board. "We really hope that he (Rahm) is continuing with us," said three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, who recently joined the PGA Tour's policy board, last week.
Rahm recently pulled out of the TGL, a new competition formed by McIlroy and 15-time major champion Tiger Woods in partnership with the PGA Tour. His decision to withdraw from the TGL has only added fuel to those LIV rumours.
Rahm has previous insisted he's not motivated by money, which makes his case even more interesting. Huge question marks over the future of the PGA Tour would be raised if the two-time major winner joined LIV for golfing and not financial reasons.
Fellow golfer Eddie Pepperell tweeted earlier this month: "This idea that 'everybody has a price' is nonsense, and untrue. And it demotes human beings in terms of their capacity to have principles and stick to them. That being said, Rahm seems a loyal guy so if he goes, it spells trouble for the PGAT (PGA Tour) leadership, and probably rightly so."