Jon Rahm’s LIV Millions: Star Golfer Set to Sign $600m New Deal

The details of a record-breaking golf deal have leaked. One of Spain’s star golfers and defending champions is set to make a new deal with LIV Golf, leaving his PGA Tour days behind. Jon Rahm is the man in the middle of this changeover, set to earn an absurd amount of money. 

As LIV Golf craftily snags yet another star player from the PGA Tour, let’s break down this insurmountable deal, the LIV-PGA rivalry, and what this means for Jon Rahm. 

 

What is LIV Golf and the LIV-PGA Rivalry

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In case you’re not familiar with LIV Golf, let’s sum it up. LIV Golf is relatively new to the game, with its first season played in 2022. Its approach to golf seems to push a reinvention narrative, striving to be the best in the game. And, of course, it was once a rival to the PGA. It was, and arguably still is, a threat to the PGA Tour, but there have since been rumors of a controversial PGA-LIV merger. 

The name LIV is derived from Roman numerals, translating to the number 54. The number represents the predicted score if every hole on the 72-course was birdied during a game played at LIV events. 

 

The Big Deal

Rumors of this switch started circulating the golfing world over the last few weeks, but suspicions were confirmed when Rahm didn’t show up to The American Express event for the PGA just a matter of days ago. 

Jon Rahm, who has been with PGA since 2016, has now been offered an almost absurd deal with LIV in terms of monetary value. With PGA, it’s estimated that Rahm accumulated a take-home of around $77 million over the last seven years. According to Front Office Sports, he’ll be earning over six times this figure with LIV Golf.

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LIV has already taken Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and more from the PGA. Ironically, Rahm spoke critically of LIV previously and always stood behind PGA, so this deal is expected to come with a little backlash. 

The deal seems a little ruthless, reminding the PGA that it’s slowly falling behind and risks failing if the merger doesn’t go through. Just a few months ago, Jon Rahm told a Spanish podcast that ‘I laugh when people rumor me with LIV Golf. I never liked the format. My heart is with the PGA Tour.’

 

The Man in the Middle of the $600 Million Deal

Jon Rahm is a professional Spanish golfer who consistently ascends to no.1 world victories, unsurprisingly making this a huge win for LIV Golf. Rahm became an admirable professional in 2016 after the U.S. Open and quickly moved up in the ranks over the last seven years. 

Rahm saw constant victories in his time with PGA, as well as various international tours. He had four epic wins in the 2022-2023 season, including at the Masters Tournament, The American Express, and the Genesis Invitational. He tied with Sergio Garcia for the most wins on any PGA tour as a Spanish player. 

This pro has, of course, broken a couple of records, too. Rahm’s win at the Genesis Invitational made him the first player with three wins in one calendar year since Johnny Miller in 1975. Plus, winning the PGA Tour seven seasons in a row is a pretty impressive record. It’s no wonder LIV was after him, offering him an enormous amount of money to beat records for them instead.

 

What Deals Were Other Golfers Offered?

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As we know, LIV has snatched up a lot of star players from PGA. It’s worth comparing what they were offered to sign with LIV just to reiterate how impactful and insane Rahm’s deal is, highlighting his golfing worth.

Dustin Johnson is an American golfer who previously had over 24 wins in and out of the PGA before signing with LIV Golf. Johnson was reportedly guaranteed $150 million to join LIV and saw a $35.6 bonus in his first year. 

In the summer of 2022, LIV Golf signed another star golfer and ex-PGA Tour member, Brooks Koepka. While the exact amount was never confirmed, it’s estimated that he was guaranteed $100 million upon signing with LIV. 

Bryson DeChambeau, another high-profile American golf player, was one of the first players to be taken from the PGA. With a reported guarantee of upwards of $100 million and a four-year deal, that was enough to convince DeChambeau to make the move.

 

Conclusion

LIV Golf has struck another blow on the PGA Tour, once again convincing a record-breaking player to switch sides. This is certainly LIV’s most successful and important signing yet, as Jon Rahm will have a lot to offer. $600 million seems a fair price to pay to have him in its league.