The PGA Tour’s 2022-23 season begins with this week’s Fortinet Championship in Napa, Calif. — one of the few weeks this year when the PGA Tour overlaps with LIV Golf, which starts its Chicago event on Friday.
The flood of players who have decamped to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour reached its peak this summer, when a final wave of LIV signings was announced after the conclusion of the Tour Championship.
Since then, all has been relatively quiet on the LIV Golf contract front — but that hasn’t stopped rumors of future signings from spreading on social media.
To better understand LIV vs. PGA Tour, I talked to a top player in the fray
A popular target has been 2021 U.S. Open champ Jon Rahm, who, as the current World No. 6, would be a big get for LIV Golf. But Rahm was irked by the presence of LIV golfers in the field at last week’s DP World Tour Championship. He also offered an impassioned defense of the PGA Tour and the importance of legacy and history at the U.S. Open in June, saying, “My heart is with the PGA Tour.”
Still, the rumors have persisted. On Tuesday, a user with the Twitter handle @LIVTracking claimed Rahm’s move to LIV was imminent.
“My #LIVGolf source just confirmed with me John Rahm (sic) to LIV INV is indeed a GO,” the user wrote. “I’ve never been wrong about a LIV signing. Just look at my track record. PGA Tour is on the ropes.”
Twitter is full of baseless tweets, but this one has garnered attention because Rahm fired back. Despite the fact that his first name was misspelled and he was untagged in the original post, Rahm responded directly to the post on Wednesday.
“I must inform you that you have started a losing streak because you and your source are wrong,” Rahm wrote. “I want to thank you for the lift in the PIP.”
Though social media will no longer be a factor in the new PIP formula this year, Rahm’s quip is still a humorous nod to the extra attention the social-media rumor mill has bestowed upon the Tour’s brightest stars.
And despite Rahm’s seemingly constant assertions that he’s not going anywhere, it doesn’t appear that the speculation will end anytime soon.