Even though he signed one of the most outrageous contracts in golf history to join the rebel LIV Golf Tour in 2023, current Masters champion Jon Rahm has demanded some adjustments.
Jon Rahm, the rebel of LIV Golf, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the circuit’s format and suggested a change to 72 holes as the Saudi Arabian tour fights to overtake more established competitors.
Since the PIF-backed LIV’s founding in 2021, the current Masters champion may be the subject of the most publicized coup to date. With a contract worth an incredible £450 million over the next four and a half years, the Spaniard signed one of the richest contracts in professional sports history.
The 29-year-old has also had a successful start to life in the Gulf State, finishing the season with his Legion XIII team’s second victory of the year prior to the 2024 Masters. Along with teammates Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt, and Kieran Vincent, he defeated Sergio Garcia’s team to victory in Miami, acting as a kind of dress rehearsal before traveling to Augusta National.
Rahm now seems to have taken stock of his first four months in Saudi Arabia, as he acknowledged that he believes adjustments are necessary to bring the LIV tour up to par with the PGA Tour. The former US Open champion admitted as much to the BBC: “I think it would help all of this argument a lot if LIV could go to 72 holes.
“It would be beneficial if we could bring LIV Golf closer to some other things. He continued, “I think it would be for some kind of unification to feed into a world tour or something like that,” before making a suggestion that the LIV community supports him. “I’m not sure if I’m the only one who thinks this, but I would really enjoy returning to 72 holes.”
“That’s a well-thought-out argument,” he said, adding that he is eager to use his own notoriety to possibly drive change. I realized the weight and potential consequences of my decision, and that I might be the beginning of a tipping point in that regard. That was something I completely understood, which is why it wasn’t an easy decision.
“There might be some slight unrest in the equilibrium of golf. Luckily, I’ve accomplished a lot in my career and become well-known in the golf world, particularly in the past year. Few active players could have had a greater influence than me in that regard.
“I understood the position I was in, not to be too self-congratulatory,” Rahm continued, urging prominent LIV figures to take his suggestions into consideration. “There might be some slight unrest in the equilibrium of golf. In my career, I’ve been fortunate to accomplish a lot and become well-known in the golf world, particularly in the past year.”
The former world number one also appeared to be a little irritated by the slow progress being made toward a legally binding agreement between LIV and the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour regarding the long-discussed merger. A startling “framework agreement” between those parties was announced, but since then, things have stagnated.
The Spanish sensation reflected and stated, “I was not happy. It wasn’t ideal timing to be dealing with something like that at the US Open. We must consider how everything changed the moment that framework agreement was being worked on. And that is where everything changed for the first time.”
Rahm continued, offering an frank assessment of the current standoff: “At some point, someone else would have made the move if I hadn’t. It made it possible for me to follow suit if the PGA Tour is now willing to collaborate with the PIF or LIV or perhaps come together in some other way.”
