Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf rocked the golfing world back in 2023 after the reigning Masters champ opted to quit the PGA Tour and sign for the Saudi-backed league.
Rahm’s reported $500m contract saw him become one of the highest-paid golfers of all time in the most significant statement made thus far by the Public Investment Fund.
However, despite the Spaniard winning the Individual Championship in his first LIV season, it hasn’t always been plain sailing.
In May 2024, Rahm claimed he was hindered by the 54-hole format. What’s more, during the Greenbrier event, rumours about Rahm’s LIV future surfaced. There were even suggestions the former Masters winner was eager to return to the PGA Tour.
Jon Rahm’s LIV Golf U-turn laid bare
Before Rahm joined LIV, he was actually one of the highest-profile PGA Tour players who opposed the rival league.
And Rahm’s quotes from the 2022 US Open are all the more intriguing considering he now earns his fortune with LIV.
“I feel for Jay Monahan. If you see his time as a commissioner, he had to deal with COVID and now this. I don’t know if he signed up for all this or not,” the Spaniard said whilst at The Country Club.
“I consider the PGA Tour to have done an amazing job of giving us the best platform for us to perform. I do see the appeal that other people see towards LIV Golf. I do see some of the points or arguments they can make about why they prefer it. To be honest, part of the format is not really appealing to me. Shotgun three days, to me, is not a golf tournament, no cut. It’s that simple.”
“I want to play against the best in the world in a format that’s been going on for hundreds of years. That’s what I want to see. Yeah, money is great, but when Kelley and I — this first thing happened, we started talking about it, and we’re like, will our lifestyle change if I got $400 million? No, it will not change one bit.”
Rahm added: “Truth be told, I could retire right now with what I’ve made and live a very happy life and not play golf again. So, I’ve never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons. I play for the love of the game, and I want to play against the best in the world. I’ve always been interested in history and legacy, and right now, the PGA Tour has that.”
Just 18 months later, Rahm was putting pen to paper on his record-breaking LIV Golf contract.
- READ MORE: Jon Rahm says what he often hears people say about him which he finds ‘crazy’ and is totally wrong
What Jon Rahm said in his first LIV Golf press conference
Rahm’s first LIV event was in Mayakoba 12 months ago, and the Spaniard detailed what went on before his move to Legion XIII was confirmed.
“Well, the weeks leading up to the announcement weren’t the easiest. I had to weigh a lot, basically get enough info to then make an informed decision,” Rahm said. “Even through the process of negotiations, it was just very, very deep waters compared to what I’m used to. I had to be more involved than I thought I was going to have to be. But once the announcement was made, I think everything became a lot easier.”
| Player | Earnings |
| 1. Jon Rahm | $390m |
| 2. Phil Mickelson | $205m |
| 3. Dustin Johnson | $186m |
| 4. Brooks Koepka | $120m |
| 5. Cam Smith | $110m |
| 6. Bryson DeChambeau | $107m |
| 7. Sergio Garcia | $105m |
| 8. Patrick Reed | $90m |
| 9. Bubba Watson | $88m |
| 10. Tyrrell Hatton | $86m |
“Having to keep the secrecy and not being able to talk to anybody about it was difficult. Again, once it became public, the reaction was pretty much what I expected. The ones that are close friends that maybe had an idea or not have supported me, and obviously, there are some people that are going to disagree with any decision we make in life. Pretty much in line with what I expected, but it was nice to have some time after that before my first competition round in LIV Golf to process and then actually kind of refocus and get to work.”
Jon Rahm’s impressive LIV Golf record
Rahm has gone on to become the dominant force in the LIV Golf League over the past 12 months. The Spaniard finished third in his first-ever event and put together a run of six top-ten finishes before he missed the Houston tournament through injury.
The 30-year-old then returned in Nashville, where he finished third, before winning the United Kingdom LIV event at JCB Country Club. Rahm ended the weekend 13 under.
He then finished runner-up at Greenbrier and won the Individual Championship in Chicago; his dominance was consistent in his first season.
Rahm is currently second in the 2025 standings after finishing tied for second in Riyadh and sixth in Adelaide.
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