2023 Masters Champ to Leave PGA Tour for Saudi-Owned LIV Golf
OFFER HE CAN’T REFUSE
Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
The 2023 Masters champion will leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, the league owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Jon Rahm’s deal was previously rumored to be worth around $600 million and, according to The Wall Street Journal, could be completed by the end of the week. It is a reversal of Rahm’s previous statements saying LIV was “not a golf tournament” and that even a $400 million offer wouldn’t make him reconsider his position. The agreement comes as the potential merger between the two golf leagues that was initially announced in June has hit some roadblocks, including the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust investigation. The newspaper reported that Rahm, who is ranked No. 3 in the world, would be the best player LIV Golf has signed from the PGA Tour since its inception in 2021, and his signing would act as security if the merger doesn’t happen.