Nearly a year after the framework agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the operators of LIV Golf, was announced, the golf world is still waiting for a final pact.
But Jon Rahm isn’t waiting to share his opinion on what he’d like for the future of pro golf.
Since joining LIV in January, and in contrast to many of his LIV counterparts, Rahm hasn’t shied away from sharing his honest takes on how the LIV circuit could improve, as well as his desire to see some kind of merger between the PGA Tour and LIV.
In fact, last year’s framework agreement, and the potential for a future merger, played a major influence in Rahm’s decision to leave the PGA Tour, as he revealed to GOLF’s Dylan Dethier earlier this year.
“What opened the door a little bit was that PGA Tour and LIV agreement,” Rahm said. “So when that happened, I was like, well, we are definitely coming together. There is something happening, so at least I owe it to myself to hear what they have to offer and what their vision is. I figured I owed it to myself to hear them out, which is what I did when the season was over.”
Ahead of this week’s LIV Adelaide event in Australia, Rahm sat down for a joint press conference with LIV CEO Greg Norman, and reporters questioned Rahm about how he envisions the future.
At first, he provided a common refrain heard from both sides since the initial agreement occurred: “I really don’t know.”
Jon Rahm calls on LIV Golf to drop controversial piece of its format
“There’s a lot of unknowns, I think, on everybody’s side. The people that are very smart and are behind this are trying to figure out what’s the best for golf,” Rahm explained during his press conference. “But I haven’t spoken to enough players on the PGA Tour to know what their position is, to be honest. I don’t know if it’s impatience or just lack of knowledge in general.”
But he also expressed confidence that some kind of agreement would result in the best “product” for golf fans.
“We all want to see this resolved,” Rahm said. “Like I’ve said many times, we have the opportunity to take golf to the next level in the global markets, and I think if done properly we can come up with a better product for anybody, and putting golf as a bigger product in general as a worldwide sport.”
When pressed further, Rahm revealed which PGA Tour events he’d still “love to play” should those starts become available to him again.
“Right now obviously it’s 14 LIV events that I want to play, so that, majors, Ryder Cup for sure, and then after that, yeah, there’s some PGA Tour events that if it’s not conflicting with my LIV schedule I’d love to go play,” Rahm said. “I’ve said numerous times and I’ll say it again, Palm Springs [the American Express], Torrey Pines [Farmers Insurance Open], Phoenix [WM Phoenix Open], LA [Genesis Invitational], if I’m allowed to be able to play, the Players [Players Championship]. Those are events that if I could, I would love to play.”
Jon Rahm’s been watching the PGA Tour — with complex mix of emotions
Rahm also is not worried about the increased workload should his wishes be granted, saying that his schedule would be no busier that it had been when he played the PGA Tour.
“I’m no stranger to playing 23, 24 events a year in the past, especially with my PGA Tour schedule and DP World Tour schedule. Yeah, I would be up to playing, and I’d still try to go play the Spanish Open and whatever I can in Spain, as well. That’s just what I want to do.”
Rahm, who is the captain of the LIV team Legion XIII, is currently ranked second in the individual LIV standings for 2024. At the 2024 Masters, the first major appearance since joining LIV, Rahm finished T45 in his title defense.
