Jon Rahm shows true colours after watching PGA Tour chief and LIV boss hug it out
Jon Rahm revealed that he doesn't want to get his hopes up after LIV Golf chairman and PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan hugged it out in Scotland.
Jon Rahm says he doesn't want to get his hopes up a deal can be agreed between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf's backers.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and LIV chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan have been paired together at this week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The world's 462nd ranked golfer, Darren Fichardt, grabbed the lead one day one with a superb 11-under 61 at Kingsbarns.
But all eyes were on Monahan and the PIF governor as they played 18 holes at Carnoustie.
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This is the first time the duo have been seen in public together since announcing last June's framework agreement.
It is an unfathomable scenario given what has transpired over the last three years in men's professional golf.
Since June, there has been widespread speculation over where the parties are at in the negotiations.
The PGA Tour golfers who sit on the policy board first met Al-Rumayyan in the Bahamas after the 2024 Players Championship in March.
Tiger Woods reportedly played 18 holes with the powerful Saudi businessman.
PGA Tour player liaison Joe Ogilvie said that first introduction was 'perfect' and since then several meetings have been held in New York to thrash out the terms.
But there are still some reports several high-profile PGA Tour players such as Woods, Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth are unwilling to compromise.
If that is the case, one theory put forward is that the DP World Tour could abandon its strategic alliance with the PGA and create a global tour with LIV to rival the North American circuit.
One person who desperately wants a resolution is Rahm.
Rahm told reporters on Thursday: "I won't let myself believe anything until it is actually true. I hope so.
"But having commissioner Monahan here, Guy Kinnings as well and having His Excellency here and, by the looks of it, all spending some time together should be something that makes us all feel hopeful for the future.
"But, at this point, I don't want to create an expectation and then not meet it. But I'm hopeful."
Rahm's Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy also played in the same group as Al-Rumayyan.
He declared there could be unity by the end of the year.
Asked about his round with the golf chief, McIlroy said: "We didn't talk about what's going on in the game.
"We talked about Newcastle United. We talked about some of the other stuff Yasir owns.
"It was all very cordial. Other than that, I obviously didn't see much of what was going on in the group ahead, but it's not as if we don't all know each other.
"We've been doing this dance for a couple of years now.
"I'm not sure we can take much from today. They were behaving like golfers, which is what we are here to do.
"Who knows? I keep saying time will tell. And there's only so many ways I can answer the same question."
