Not much life left in LIV.
The writing is on the wall that LIV – which will soon lose funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – iwill either die after the 2026 season or fade into a much smaller, less disruptive entity.
LIV’s fraudulent business model was completely dependent on high paying players. All the potential value was supposed to be in the franchises, but those franchises are practically worthless.
One of those players who was overpaid? Jon Rahm, who reportedly signed for $300 million in December 2023. We definitely know it was a long-term contract since Rahm just accepted that much.
“Right now, I have a few years left on my contract. I’m sure they did a pretty good job drafting him, so I don’t see much of a way out. Right now, I’m not really thinking about it because we still have a season to play and majors to compete for. It’s not something I want to think about yet.”
Yeah, man. Absolute escape. Attorneys will collect several billable hours for this.
It was all so avoidable.
Instead, Rahm has come across as a total buffoon
I love watching Rahm play golf. He is an incredible talent. I would even say that I really enjoyed listening to Rahm’s press conferences in the 2020-2023 era especially. He was emerging as one of the most interesting voices in the game.
But the past three years, dating back to his decision to join LIV, have made Rahm look like an idiot.
After all, Rahm has been a shell of himself as a competitor the past two years. One of the most passionate players in the game has been neutered.
More than that, his decision to join LIV helped prolong golf’s civil war. We could have ended this thing years ago if he hadn’t thrown the lifeline.
Let me take you back to 2022, when news of LIV’s reality was first gaining traction. That’s what Rahm said at the time.
“There’s been a lot of talk and speculation about the Saudi league and it’s not something that I believe is the best for me and my future in golf and I think the best legacy I can achieve is on the PGA Tour.
“Everybody’s free to make their own choice, it’s that simple. All I can say is coming from a young guy like me who’s got his whole future ahead of him, it doesn’t seem like a smart thing. Again, the only appeal I see is monetary, right? So, like I said a little bit earlier, I think there’s a lot more to being able to play to play for the PGA than the story money. of the day, I’m in this to win tournaments, I’m in this to play against the best in the world.”
It is an admirable attitude.
And what did he do? He went directly against it.
My first article for MGS was talking about Rahm’s decision. Here is what I wrote at the time:
“Rahm is the latest in a long line of important people who have prioritized their business interests over the greater good, causing professional golf to eat itself from the inside out.”
A lot of people in the comments didn’t like this line. But nearly three years later, I stand by it as much as I did when I first wrote it. Rahm shouldn’t have been selfish, but he was. In the long run, this has hurt him and the game as a whole.
The guy who always says he’s driven by competition, passion for the game and follows in the footsteps of his Spanish heroes like Seve Ballesteros? He took a long-term contract for the money and became a worse golfer in the process.
Throughout his time at LIV, Rahm has sounded like the life has been sucked out of him. Not only that, but he has been both petty and vindictive about the whole process.
Where is the joy in his golf? Where’s the anger in his golf?
I don’t see it. I just see a guy who made a big mistake and is going through the motions.
He has all the energy of a hostage trying to negotiate with his captor.
Rahm had to be the guy
Our expectations for Rahm are high.
He is a top five talent in the world. He has the capacity to be the No. 1 player. 1 in the world.
It’s one thing to watch Cameron Smith lose his talent. This is a tough one. Smith was a great player. Seeing him lose big cuts to a punch is not fun.
But Rahm’s ceiling is twice as high as Smith’s.
Rahm left for LIV at the peak of his careerwhen he had two majors and was beginning a quest to be one of the greatest golfers ever.
To see him struggle far in LIV and then be uncompetitive in the majors is very disheartening. It might be the single most depressing part of this whole thing.
And now he looks like a prisoner.
Oh, so now Rahm can suddenly make a deal with the DP World Tour to play in their events and join the European Ryder Cup team? It only took years of fines and fights.
What changed? LIV is in trouble and Rahm wants a way out. Now he is open to negotiations.
So you ignored everyone on the PGA Tour who told you not to go to LIV in the first place. You threw LIV a lifeline when they hadn’t signed a meaningful player since the beginning. You decided on money over legacy and competition. You turned your back on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. You became a worse player.
Man, you might as well stick to LIV for whatever’s left of it. If they’re playing for $5 million purses next year, you might as well stick with the league.
You believed in it so much that you bet your entire reputation on it.
Well, you got even richer. You have made your money embarrassing. Good for you.
But you can’t decide your reputation.
And, to me, Rahm’s reputation is completely tarnished.
Top Top Photo: Jon Rahm continues to be a buffoon. (GETTY IMAGES/Hector Vivas)
