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At the end of 2023, LIV Golf pulled off what was arguably its biggest coup to date by convincing Jon Rahm to defect from the PGA Tour. In recent months, rumors have started to swirl that suggest he’s begun to regret that decision, but he didn’t mince words while pushing back against the speculation in a recent interview.
Jon Rahm fared pretty well for what would turn out to be his final season on the PGA Tour, as he won the second major (and first green jacket) of his career at The Masters in 2023 while racking up four other victories during a year where he temporarily occupied the top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings before sliding to No 3.
Unlike some other vocal critics on the PGA Tour, Rahm had never firmly ruled out the possibility of joining the dozens of golfers who linked up with LIV Golf.
One insider even claimed he’d been approached about making the leap before listing an asking price that was too steep even for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, but the two sides were ultimately able to agree to a deal that was reportedly worth $350 million.
Rahm made his LIV Golf debut at a tournament in Mexico earlier this year, but there’s a fair amount of evidence that suggests he’s not entirely thrilled with his new environment. In June, he went on a tirade after being triggered by a drone being used to film the action, and in July, he flipped out due to some fans who refused to shut up while he was attempting a shot.
Earlier this month, Golf Digest cited an anonymous PGA Tour “veteran” who said Rahm was experiencing “deep regret” over his decision to join LIV, but the Spaniard has pushed back against the claim.
During a recent interview with Fox News, Rahm suggested he was the victim of a vendetta among LIV Golf critics intent on painting players as miserable, saying:
“I don’t know why some people keep insisting and trying to make this happen. They did that with Brooks [Koepka] last season. They have to come up with somebody being unhappy, and the truth is, we’re all extremely happy.
I don’t have buyer’s remorse. It’s been a really fun ride. I’ve had bad years in majors before – before that, they blamed it on me not being able to control my emotions, they would compare me to something else. Matter of fact is, I just played bad, plain and simple. I don’t know what else to tell you.”
He also noted he’s been dealing with some issues on the personal front stemming from his wife’s pregnancy with their third child and reaffirmed his commitment to the PGA Tour rival, saying, “I think it’s a lot of potential in LIV Golf.”
That should settle that.