Rahm sees no need for PGA Tour loyalty to be compensated

Wednesday, 19 July 2023 00:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Jon Rahm

HOYLAKE, AFP: World number three Jon Rahm said he does not expect financial compensation from the PGA Tour for not jumping ship to join LIV Golf after an agreement was reached for the two entities to merge.

In a shock announcement last month, the PGA and DP World Tours agreed to merge with the golf-related businesses of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which had bankrolled huge signing bonuses for players to join LIV. Details remain sparse as to how the deal will work in practice with leading players from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf admitting this week they remain in the dark.

According to reports, Phil Mickelson received a signing bonus of $ 200 million to join LIV, while other major champions Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson all banked over $ 100 million each.

But Masters champion Rahm believes compensation for players who remained loyal to the PGA Tour should not be one of the stumbling blocks to an agreement.

“I understand the PGA Tour wanting to do something for those players who helped and stayed on the PGA Tour, but at the same time – and I’ll be the first one to say – I wasn’t forced into anything. It was my choice to stay,” said Rahm. “We all had the chance to go to LIV and take the money and we chose to stay at the PGA Tour for whatever reason we chose. “As I’ve said before, I already make an amazing living doing what I do. I’m extremely thankful, and that all happened because of the platform the PGA Tour provided me.”