Three-time DP World Tour Championship winner Jon Rahm has revealed he’d be ‘lying if money wasn’t a big part’ of his move to LIV Golf after the Spaniard made the switch to the breakaway circuit at the end of 2023.
The Masters champion had previously pledged his loyalty to the PGA and DP World Tour but shocked the golfing world when defecting to LIV Golf in December for a rumored $450m.
Having previously stated that winning a Green Jacket made him seriously consider the move, he has now revealed the eye-watering sum on offer was too good to turn down.
"I don’t want to skip through this point cause there’s no point, there’s a big change in the way the golfers get compensated," Rahm said in a sit-down interview with ESPN.
"I’d be lying if it wasn’t a big part of it. In a nutshell, I’m getting paid more to play the same sport and have more time. I don't know about most people but that sounds good to me."
The DP World, PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund (PIF), who are behind LIV Golf, were in a legal battle in 2022 when Rahm pledged his loyalty to the PGA Tour at a press conference ahead of the Genesis Invitational.
“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,” Rahm said at the time.
“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.”
But in 2023, PIF, the DP World and PGA Tour announced they were to form "a new collectively owned" entity - something PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan had previously ruled out.
That announcement ended up playing a major role in Rahm’s decision to join LIV Golf.
"From when I said that certain circumstances changed,” said Rahm, who will be competing in at LIV Golf Jeddah this week.
“The PGA Tour and PIF got to this agreement framework and to work together in the future.
"It opened my mind to being a little closed-minded towards this and maybe I should give myself a chance. As an athlete and an entertainer, I think I owe to myself to see the other side out.
"I think my biggest concern was a little bit of negative media backlash. The way I see it, if you want to, let's say, improve your position, I think you’re free to go to job interviews.
"I have the right to do what I think is best for myself and my family. Period. I’ve said it before, as a father and as a husband I have a duty to set my family up as best as possible. Not that we weren’t, we're extremely privileged people, I’m aware of that, but it’s my duty."
