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Joining LIV Golf was not an easy decision for Jon Rahm. He thought for a long time about the consequences as well as the positive things of going to LIV Golf.
He realized that joining LIV Golf was the best choice for him right now. While he admitted that the financial offer played a big role, it wasn't the only reason. Rahm's main goal was to financially support his family.
"I do not play golf for the money. I play golf for the love of the game and for the love of golf. But as a husband, as a father and as a family man, I have a duty to my family to give them the best opportunities and the most amount of resources possible.”
However, even though he's committed to LIV Golf, he still has a bit of sadness and nostalgia for his time on the PGA Tour.
Since he joined the PGA Tour in 2016, Rahm has created lots of great memories. He became one of the top players on the Tour, reaching the No.1 spot on the Official World Golf Ranking in 2020. Driving by Phoenix, Rahm felt emotional, remembering the tournaments where he played well and stood out.
“It was a lot harder to be at home not competing and know that those events were going on,” he said, as quoted by golfmonthly.com
“Palm Springs and Torrey, those weeks were hard. I’ve explained so many times how important Torrey is for me. And driving by Phoenix as often as I had to and knowing that I wasn’t going to play there, it’s definitely emotional.”
In the third round of the WM Phoenix Open last year, Jon Rahm had an exciting moment at the 16th hole. He successfully made a very long 40-foot putt, which got the crowd really excited. The atmosphere became a bit chaotic, with people celebrating by throwing beer bottles onto the green. In those moments, the Spaniard could feel the excitement of the fans and feel the atmosphere heating up. Jon decided to remain calm and focused, regardless of everything that was happening around him. Precisely this calmness and concentration are some of the reasons why Rahm made great successes in his career.
"We felt the chaos going on. I just thought it was best to not give it too much time. I didn't want to give the crowd too much time to think about throwing anything else.
So even through my routine somebody threw a bottle and I just went up and hit it. The break is not going to change.
I had the break pretty clear. Felt like the pace was something I was comfortable on. It was one of those things that luckily it went in and I got to enjoy that moment.”
Jon Rahm wants to return to the PGA Tour
The Spaniard hopes that the future can be different for him and that he will have a chance to return to the PGA Tour. He misses playing in important tournaments, but he probably also misses playing golf with his colleagues.
“I’m hoping that in the near future I can be back playing some of those events. I would certainly love to go back and play some of them. "
He mentions that if there's ever a chance to play in the Phoenix Open again, even if it's just as a special invite, he would gladly take it. Rahm expresses his willingness to support events that hold a special place in his heart.
In his words, you can feel how attached he is to the PGA Tour. Rahm was certainly one of the golfers who had the most difficult moments when he wanted to decide on his future. He knew he could either stay on the PGA Tour and potentially dominate, or go to LIV Golf and make huge money. In addition, it can be felt that Rahm carries a certain amount of optimism that in the future the PGA Tour and LIV Golf could unite, and this can only be ensured by the PGA Tour-PIF deal.
Despite deciding to join LIV Golf and not play in the PGA Tour for now, Rahm doesn't regret his choice. He explains that he made the decision after considering advice from those around him and believes it was the right move for his career at that time.
Joining LIV Golf has certain consequences. Those golfers who left the PGA Tour were aware of that. However, recent events on the golf scene, especially when it comes to the PGA Tour-PIF deal seem to have influenced many to join LIV Golf. It is obvious that there is hope for unification.