There have been increasingly strong reports from various golf outlets that world no. 3, Jon Rahm, is in advanced talks with LIV Golf over joining the Saudi backed tour in the near future.
Golf outlet bunkered.co.uk have written that they have 'learned that the Spaniard has had talks with the Greg Norman-fronted circuit but nothing has been agreed as yet', while the Twitter page, Flushing It, have also reported the news.
Jon Rahm Would Be Major Coup For LIV Golf
Given the Spaniard's year, which included winning the Masters and producing one of the great Ryder Cup performances as Europe regained the trophy, he is considered by many to be the best golfer in the world.
It also comes very soon after Rahm pulled out of Rory McIlroy's and Tiger Woods' new TGL indoor golf league.
And, while Rahm has been critical of LIV Golf, is has been because of the format of the tour, which is reportedly the main discussion point between himself and LIV.
“I’ve never liked the format," Rahm has said in the past.
And I always have a good time with Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia in the practice rounds of majors. I think LIV Golf will continue, from what I understand and have talked about with their players.
None of them intend to return, and for that, they left the PGA Tour. They left for a reason.
READ HERE: Jon Rahm Had Surprising Opinion On Payoff For Players That Turned Down LIV Golf
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1 October 2023; Europe captain Luke Donald, Jon Rahm, left, and Shane Lowry with the Ryder Cup after the final day of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
While Rahm has been pro-PGA Tour/DP World Tour in their battle against their LIV rivals, he has been more diplomatic in his views than the likes of Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel.
For example, it was his view that LIV Golf members should have been eligible for the European Ryder Cup team:
The Ryder Cup is not the PGA Tour and European Tour against LIV - it's Europe versus the US, period.
The best of each against the other, and for me the Ryder Cup is above all. I wish they could play but it doesn't look good.
He has also had interesting thoughts on the planned merger between all three tours, which was announced in June and organised behind the back's of the players.
"Two minutes before the announcement came out, someone from the PGA Tour contacted me and told me everything. I thought it was a joke. This is what they should have done from the beginning.
"Instead, they generated division and then decided to come together again.”
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He then disagreed with the call for compensation for players who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour prior to the planned merger.
"It's a tricky question", Rahm said.
I understand the PGA Tour wanting to do something for those players that helped and stayed on the PGA Tour.
At the same time, and I'll be the first one to say, I wasn't forced into anything. It was my choice to stay.
Do I think there absolutely should be and must be compensation? No. I chose to stay because I thought it was the best choice for me and the golf I want to play.
That being said, if they want to do it, I'm not going to say no. We all had the chance to go to LIV and take the money, and we chose to stay on the PGA Tour for whatever reason we chose.
Jon Rahm is in late stage talks to join LIV Golf and it’s believed the hold up is not financial, but is due to him wishing to modify the format of the league.
Any changes would need the approval of all team captains as well as the league themselves. This is making negotiations…
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) November 22, 2023
Rahm would be by far the biggest coup for LIV Golf, but with the merger still on the cards, and no confirmation from LIV that there has been talks between them and the Spaniard, his future is still unclear.
However, given his aforementioned unhappiness with some of the PGA Tour's and DP World Tour's actions, and his sense of understanding of the LIV Tour and players that have defected, there seems to be scope to convince him to join the 'enemy'.
A spot has also just opened up on Sergio Garcia's Fireballs GC.....
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