Jon Rahm questions if PGA Tour players should be compensated for not switching to LIV Golf
Jon Rahm claims that he doesn’t expect a reward for staying loyal to the PGA Tour during the LIV Golf exodus
Jon Rahm claims that he doesn’t expect a reward for staying loyal to the PGA Tour during the LIV Golf exodus
Masters champion Jon Rahm has played down suggestions that PGA Tour players should be financially compensated for staying loyal to the tour rather than joining LIV Golf.
The PGA Tour announced a framework agreement last month with the DP World Tour and the Public Investment Fund (PIF), who fund LIV Golf, to try and unify the men’s game and end litigation between the tours.
Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau were among those to make the switch to the Saudi-backed circuit last year, while the likes of Rahm and Rory McIlroy stayed loyal to the PGA Tour.
Jon Rahm, chasing a second major victory of the season, will play alongside Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose for the first two rounds at Royal Liverpool
“I understand the PGA Tour wanting to do something for those players who helped and stayed on the PGA Tour, but at the same time – and I’ll be the first one to say – I wasn’t forced into anything,” Rahm said in his pre-tournament press conference ahead of The Open.
“It was my choice to stay. Do I think they absolutely should be and there must be a compensation? No. I just stayed because I think it’s the best choice for myself and for the golf I want to play. Now, with that 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 at the PGA Tour for whatever reason we chose. As I’ve said before, I already make an amazing living doing what I do. I’m extremely thankful, and that all happened because of the platform the PGA Tour provided me.
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“As far as I’m concerned they’ve done enough for me, and their focus should be on improving the PGA Tour and the game of golf for the future generations.”
Rahm said shortly after last month’s shock announcement that PGA Tour players felt a sense of ‘betrayal’ from management for their handling of the agreement, although insists that he still trusts PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
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“I think what the management of the PGA Tour, the turn they took without us knowing was very unexpected, but I still think he’s been doing a great job,” Rahm added. “Right now after that happened, I only think it’s fair to give them the right time to work things out.
“I still think they [PGA Tour board] have the best interest of the players at heart. All we have right now, it’s a framework agreement. It’s an agreement to have an agreement. We really don’t have anything right now to be able to say or judge what they’ve done.
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“He still has all this time to work this agreement to basically prove that this was the right decision.”
Koepka: ‘No divide’ between players
Koepka played a practice round with Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson on Monday, ahead of his likely appearance for Team USA in Rome this September, with the five-time major champion not feeling any animosity with players from previously rival circuits.
Brooks Koepka says people are entitled to their own opinions on LIV players ahead of the Open Championship but believes players will not be divided.
“I don’t have enough information on it to even know how to feel, what to think,” Koepka said in his press conference. “That’ll probably be coming in the next few months I’d say.
“I’ve always been friends with all those [PGA Tour] guys. Unless they’re saying it behind my back. I don’t know of anyone that’s extremely mad at me. We still see each other. Just because there’s a divide with LIV and the PGA Tour that doesn’t mean the players are actually divided – I don’t think that’s the case at all.
“It’s a bunch of what-ifs and scenarios and nothing is finalised. You don’t count the winner here on Saturday just because they’re at the top of the leaderboard. You wait until Sunday to find that out. When all is said and done, we’ll see what happens.”
Brooks Koepka plays alongside Patrick Cantlay and Hideki Matsuyama over the first two rounds
Koepka is chasing a second major win of the season, having followed a runner-up finish at The Masters by winning the PGA Championship in May, with the American insisting that fifth major victory isn’t the start of a new era for his career.
“I don’t know if I could really look at it as the second stage of my career,” Koepka added. “(I’m) 33, probably right in the middle of my prime. I feel like I’m playing just as good (as at the PGA). Still feel pretty disciplined, focused. Game is there. I’ve been practicing quite a bit. We’ll see how the week goes.”
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