Report: Jon Rahm desperate to rejoin PGA Tour and give back LIV millions
Jon Rahm would give back his LIV Golf riches and return to the PGA Tour in a heartbeat, according to a report about the Spaniard.
Jon Rahm is desperate to rejoin the PGA Tour after badly miscalculating his switch to LIV Golf, according to a report.
The claim was by a 'tour insider' in a feature for Golf Digest about the former world number one.
According to the source, Rahm thought his status within the game was secure no matter where he played.
But now there are only a handful of events a year where anybody is 'remotely interested' in watching the 2023 Masters champion, they said.
Rahm would apparently give back his LIV riches in a heartbeat.
Related: Jon Rahm responds to shock rumour he's unhappy on LIV Golf
"I am 100 percent positive that if Jon could give the money back to the Saudis and come back to the tour, he couldn't write the cheque fast enough," the source told the publication.
They added: "Now there are only four times a year when he's playing that anybody is remotely interested.
"He thought his stature in the game was secure no matter where he was playing, and it was a bad miscalculation."
You can read the full report here.
Rahm officially joined LIV Golf on 8 December 2023.
He has never declared how much money he was paid by the breakaway tour to sign his five-year contract.
But is widely assumed he received upwards of £450m ($566.4m) as part of his switch.
Rahm had distanced himself from a move on multiple occasions.
Before men's professional golf spiralled out of control in the summer of 2022, Rahm declared his 'fealty to the PGA Tour'.
He criticised their format by stating that 54-hole events with a shotgun start were not proper golf tournaments.
He also said his life would not change if he joined LIV and also revealed that the breakaway tour's posterboy, Phil Mickelson, told him he had no reason to join.
Rahm expressed regret at missing out on certain PGA Tour events after he put pen to paper.
He also admitted he thought his move would've been a catalyst in speeding up negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV's backers.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has recently suggested we can't expect any agreement between the parties for years.
Despite those admissions, Rahm has stopped short in saying he has any buyer's remorse.
Before he withdrew from the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No.2. with a foot injury, Rahm told reporters in a news conference that he was in a 'happy place'.
"I've had a wonderful career so far," he said.
It took Rahm 11 attempts to claim his first LIV victory.
Rahm triumphed at JCB Golf & Country Club in Staffordshire last month and looked visibly emotional as he clutched the trophy.
Everything Jon Rahm said about LIV Golf
February 2022
"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."I have a lot of belief in the product that they're going to give us in the future."There's a lot more to be able to play for besides just money on the PGA Tour. There's history. There's legacy."
June 2022
"To be honest, part of the [LIV] 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."
June 2022
"Will our [his and wife Kelley Cahill's] lifestyle change if I got $400m? No, it will not change one bit."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."My heart is with the PGA Tour. That's all I can say."
December 2022
"If you play good you’re going to end up making money. It's not why I started playing, it's not the reason I play."Money is not really on my mind."If it was, I probably might have gone to LIV, right? If money is your goal, that's clearly the path to go down."Every decision I make is to become the best player I can become."
July 2023
"Phil Mickelson...has told me that I have no reason to go to LIV. And he has told me that several times."I laugh when people rumour me with LIV. I've never liked the format."
July 2023
"I just stayed [with the PGA Tour] because I think it's the best choice for myself and for the golf I want to play."I already make an amazing living doing what I do."I'm extremely thankful, and that all happened because of the platform the PGA Tour provided me."
