Sports

2023 Masters Champ to Leave PGA Tour for Saudi-Owned LIV Golf

OFFER HE CAN’T REFUSE

Jon Rahm said earlier that LIV was “not a golf tournament” and even $400 million wouldn’t persuade him to switch.

Jon Rahm holds the trophy aloft as he celebrates with teammates during the presentation after winning the Ryder Cup
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.

Read it at The Wall Street Journal