Jon Rahm will earn more money from LIV Golf than Tiger Woods has made in career
Jon Rahm, the Spanish superstar, is set to earn more from his new contract with LIV Golf than legend Tiger Woods has made in his entire golf career.
Rahm recently became the latest big name to join LIV Golf, a rival tour backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, in a deal that could be worth up to £450 million. Despite previously expressing strong opposition to LIV Golf, Rahm will join the circuit for the 2024 season.
The move is seen as a significant loss for both the PGA Tour and the Europe Ryder Cup team. Speculation about Rahm's switch began when he was noticeably absent from entries to January's American Express PGA Tour event.
The negotiations were led by PIF, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that owns Newcastle United. Rahm is set to receive a guaranteed fee of £240m for a five-year commitment, which is double what former World No. 1 Dustin Johnson and triple what Brooks Koepka received when they left the PGA Tour in 2021.
READ MORE: Jon Rahm makes feelings clear after Rory McIlroy demands rule change over LIV move
Bubba Watson shares details of horror knee injury ahead of LIV Golf debut
READ MORE: Ryder Cup villain 'calling the shots' in PGA Tour after Rory McIlroy resignation
Rahm's staggering fee is about twice the total prize money won by 15-time major winner Woods, who is the top-earning golfer in history with around £96m earned from 82 PGA Tour wins. Rahm will also get a stake in his own franchise in the team-based league, which could be worth an extra £200m.
Despite previously opposing LIV Golf and vowing to stay loyal to both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, Rahm has now changed his tune. Last year, he said: "Yeah, money is great... Would our lifestyle change if I got $400 million? No. It would not change one bit.
"Truth be told, I could retire right now with what I made and I'd live a very happy life and not play golf again. 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.
Thanks to his blockbuster LIV Golf deal, Jon Rahm has earned over double what Tiger Woods earned from competition over his historic career (Getty Images)"I've always been interested in history and legacy and right now the PGA Tour has that. There's a meaning when you win the Memorial championship. There's a meaning when you win Arnold Palmer's event at Bay Hill. There's a meaning when you win LA, Torrey (Pines), and some of these historic venues. That, to me, matters a lot.
"My heart is with the PGA Tour."
The surprise announcement in June that the two tours were discussing a merger with PIF left players like Rahm feeling let down. This comes as PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan are set to meet next week to discuss a potential merger, with a final agreement deadline set for December 31st.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
