How Jon Rahm reacted when Sergio Garcia first joined LIV Golf was different to many other PGA Tour players

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Sergio Garcia left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf in the summer of 2022, before Jon Rahm made the same move 18 months later.

Garcia and Rahm are both very good friends off the course, and the two Spaniards spend plenty of time together away from golf.

Both players enjoyed huge success before leaving the PGA Tour, with Garcia winning 10 regular events and one major and Rahm racking up 11 victories including two majors.

However, since they both joined LIV Golf, their stock amongst fans has gone down.

Garcia said he always wanted Rahm to join him on LIV, and he finally got his wish towards the end of 2023.

The 30-year-old took a little longer to come around to the idea of the Saudi-backed golf league than his compatriot did.

But what did Rahm think about Garcia’s decision to jump ship three years ago?

How Jon Rahm reacted when Sergio Garcia first joined LIV Golf from the PGA Tour

Back in 2022, Garcia spoke to Marca about his move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf.

And he explained how he lost relationships with certain players as a result of his decision.

Garcia said: “I really want to be there to be me, to be the Sergio who plays the Ryder Cup, who loves it and who puts an arm on everyone’s shoulder to help. But you then have people there that because you have decided to go to another tour, you are no longer their friend, you are the bad one.

“That has disappointed me and has taught me that really those people who I thought were my friends are not. Jon [Rahm] is not one of them, but there are others who have shown very little class.”

Garcia, as well as the other players who joined LIV, received extremely harsh criticism when they left the PGA Tour.

At the end of the day, golfers are independent contractors, and they are able to do what they want.

What has been said about a potential LIV / PGA Tour merger

Golf fans are desperate to see the two tours come together sooner rather than later.

It doesn’t feel right that we don’t get to see the best players in the world compete against one another outside of the four major championships.

And the bad news is that the two tours appear to be no closer now to a merger than they were two years ago.

In fact, Brandel Chamblee suggested two months ago that a merger between LIV and the PGA Tour will ‘never happen’.

That would be a huge shame. However, with Brian Rolapp having just been confirmed as the new PGA Tour CEO, there is hope that a deal could be struck with LIV.

LIV CEO Scott O’Neil shares a relationship with Rolapp, having spent time together at business school.

So perhaps the two can find a way to make a merger work for both parties.