Jon Rahm joined LIV in December 2023 (Image: AP)
Jon Rahm’s U-turn caused shockwaves in the world. In December 2023, the Spaniard from the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund-backed LIV series.
The two-time major winner had previously said he was “declaring my fealty to the ” only to go back on his word almost two years later. On February 6, Rahm will begin his second LIV Golf campaign, starting with the first event in Riyadh, which will see him and his rivals compete at night, under the lights.
As he embarks on his second campiagn, Express Sport takes a look at some of the things that have happened ever since he made the controversial move — from his change of heart, potential regrets, to getting what he wanted before 2025.
LIV Golf U-turn
In February 2022, Rahm took a stand against LIV with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlory. He said: “This is my official, my one and only time I’ll talk about this, where I am officially declaring my fealty to the PGA Tour. I’m a PAC member, and I have a lot of belief in [commissioner] Jay Monahan and the product that they’re going to give us in the future. There has been a lot of talk and speculation about the Saudi league. It’s just not something I believe is the best for me and my future in golf, and I think the best legacy I can accomplish will be with the PGA Tour.”
A mere 18 months after initially snubbing them, Rahm did a stunning U-turn and accepted LIV Golf’s phenomenal offer, complete with a hefty nine-figure signing-on fee. Discussing his bold move, he said: “What [LIV] had to offer was maybe worth the risk of not playing a Ryder Cup. The decision, like I said, was for me and my family. So what I believe is the better path for me right now, it was worth risking the Ryder Cup.
“I think some people are gonna be texting me soon saying, ‘What the heck? ‘ Right? But it’s only understandable. But again, like I said, I believe most of my friends are going to have my back, and the very few that I’ve been able to speak to were pretty much like family, already support me.
“But it’s been tough. It’s been tough. It’s a topic of conversation that was out there on the golf course every single day. People making jokes, people thinking that they know what they’re talking about, this and that. It has been difficult to just focus on the task at hand and even just practice.”
Rahm was willing to risk his place in the Ryder Cup (Image: Getty Images)
Jon Rahm’s staggering deal
Rahm’s agreement to join LIV saw him bag a contract reportedly worth around £386million, including an upfront payment of £240m with substantial bonuses to come later.
Not only that — Rahm was also promised his own team franchise named Legion XIII. When quizzed about the financial aspect, Rahm said: “The money is great. It’s wonderful, but what I’ve said before is true.
“I do not play golf for the money. I play golf for the love of the game and for the love of golf, but as a husband and as a father and family man, I have a duty to my family to give them the best opportunities and the most amount of resources possible.
“But my goal with this is to grow the game of golf, to make it better whatever that may be. I’m an ambitious person but I’m not a greedy one. I know I can’t have everything, so there’s some things I’ll have to sacrifice and right now, that seems one I can live with.”
Rahm signed a multi-million pound contract (Image: Getty Images)
His angry rebuttal
In a fiery rebuttal to rumours of discontent with LIV Golf, Rahm blasted the ‘zero truth’ claims in an interview with the . An anonymous ‘veteran PGA Tour insider’ had previously told “I am 100 percent positive that if Jon could give the money back to the Saudis and come back to the tour, he couldn’t write the check fast enough.
“Now there are only four times a year when he’s playing that anybody is remotely interested. He thought his stature in the game was secure no matter where he was playing, and it was a bad miscalculation.”
A furious Rahm attacked the claim and said: “There’s zero validity to what any of that said. I don’t know where it came from. I don’t know why they feel the need to say that some of us are unhappy when we’re not.
“It’s one of the things that frustrates me a little bit, the fact that they can claim that there’s a source and there’s zero truth to it. I’m very comfortable with my decision, very happy with my decision, very, very eager for the future of my team and the league. I get to be a part of something very different to what we had in the past. I always enjoyed being part of a team and to be in charge of one now is something incredible.”
Rahm was furious with the rumours (Image: Getty Images)
Rahm’s outburst
LIV Golf does things slightly different to the PGA, from its shotgun format to playing as part of a team. And Rahm didn’t take kindly to one aspect of the set-up in Nashville when he launched a tirade against the intrusive drone cameras used by LIV.
While initially on form with three birdies in the first four holes, Rahm was distracted by a pesky drone as he teed off on the sixth hole, causing his shot to end up in the water. Visibly frustrated, Rahm lashed out swearing. Cameras and microphones nearby heard him shout: “Every tournament. It’s f***ing incredible. Right on my backswing. These f***ing drones every time.”
At the time, the Spaniard was only two strokes behind the leader. His dip into the water resulted in him dropping down another two shots. Tyrell Hatton would go on to win the event. The only positive for Rahm was that there were no repercussions for his language, a leniency not afforded in the PGA Tour or DP World Tour.
Rahm was furious with the drone (Image: LIV Golf)
Wish granted
After Kieran Vincent was relegated in 2024, Rahm aimed to strengthen his Legion XIII team by signing a Callaway staffer. He expressed his enthusiasm by saying: “I’ve been testing new Callaway and Odyssey products with the Tour team over the winter and I can’t wait to put my new equipment into competitive play.
“I’ve been a long-time fan of Callaway equipment and I’m confident I can take a big step forwards in my career using their clubs and golf ball.”
Ultimately, his efforts paid off spectacularly when he managed to recruit Tom McKibbin, hailed as “the next Rory McIlroy”. McKibbin, after clinching his PGA Tour card during his time on the 2024 DP World Tour, decided to forego this achievement for the chance to join forces with Rahm on the LIV tour.
With the inclusion of such a promising talent, Rahm’s lineup looks to be a dangerous and competitive one this year.