12/7/2023 4:59:49 PM EST
After weeks of speculation, two-time major champion Jon Rahm joined LIV Golf on Thursday.The Spaniard reportedly signed a massive deal in excess of $300 million, another hit for the PGA Tour as it races the clock to finalize an agreement to ally with the Saudi-backed league."I am proud to join LIV Golf and be part of something new that is bringing growth to the sport," Rahm said in a news release. "I have no doubt that this is a great opportunity for me and my family and am very excited for the future."LIV already enticed Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and others from the PGA Tour with huge paydays, but adding Rahm -- the No. 3 player in the world and an immensely popular player among fans -- is a severe hit for the tour."LIV Golf is here to stay," LIV COO Lawrence Burian said in a statement. "The addition of Jon reemphasizes that our League is not slowing down. We are continuing to invest and build aggressively for LIV's long-term and exciting future."The Wall Street Journal was first to report the Rahm defection, with ESPN and Sports Illustrated later confirming it.While overseas media valued the deal at $600 million, ESPN said Rahm's LIV contract is expected to be for more than three years and worth more than $300 million. Under the terms, LIV also will add a 13th team for Rahm to helm and give him an ownership stake. ESPN added that LIV is recruiting more PGA Tour players to add to Rahm's team.Details about Rahm's team "will be announced at a later date," LIV said in a press release.In June, the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia announced an agreement to join forces, and there's a Dec. 31 deadline to seal the deal. How Rahm joining LIV's roster will impact the alliance isn't clear.PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan were previously scheduled to meet next week. Monahan has called the Dec. 31 date "a firm deadline" for a final agreement.Rahm, 29, won the 2021 U.S. Open and the 2023 Masters, two of his 11 PGA Tour victories. He completed his most successful season this year, winning four events.The Spaniard, who helped Team Europe win the Ryder Cup this fall, has career earnings on tour of $51.5 million since joining in 2016. His rumored LIV contract would dwarf that amount."Jon has consistently validated that he is one of the top players in the world. He's a generational talent who has proven his merit as a multiple major champion and tremendous ambassador for global golf by placing the game ahead of himself," LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman said in the news release. "There are very few athletes with his pedigree of talent, leadership, poise, and commitment to bringing progress to the sport on a worldwide stage. We couldn't be more excited to welcome Jon to the LIV Golf family as the league continues preparations for a huge 2024 and beyond."Since the emergence of LIV Golf in 2022, Rahm has been one of the PGA Tour's staunchest supporters and has spoken critically of LIV.Perhaps with an eye toward joining LIV, however, Rahm recently pulled out of the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy-led TGL virtual golf league and has yet to commit to playing in January in the American Express in La Quinta, Calif., where he is the defending champion.McIlroy nonetheless tried to quash speculation last month that Rahm would defect to LIV."I spoke to Jon a couple days ago and would be very, very surprised if that were to happen ... I'm pretty confident Jon is a PGA Tour player," McIlroy said in November.--Field Level Media
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