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LIV Golf was always a legitimate threat, but it became much more of a legitimate tour when it got the defending Masters Champion to join.
Jon Rahm shocked the golf world in December when, after much criticism of the new tour, he joined LIV for what's assumed to be an absurd amount of money.
Rahm once said that 54-hole tournaments aren't real golf and that $400 million would not change his lifestyle. However, amid rumors that an offer reached $600 million, Rahm went off to the Saudi-funded league.
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Jon Rahm of Spain tees off on the 14th hole during the DP World Tour Championship on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 19, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Sure, all that money is nice, and it seems that Rahm knew what he was signing up for – while a fat paycheck, his golf legacy would forever change, even despite winning the Masters last April.
But Rahm won plenty more than just that green jacket. Prior to his move to LIV, he had 11 PGA victories, including the 2021 U.S. Open.
The two-time major champion seemed to hint there is one large aspect about the PGA Tour that he does miss.
"For everyone who said this was going to be easy ... not being able to defend titles I want to defend, it hasn't," he said Tuesday, per Barstool Sports.
Jon Rahm of Spain poses with the Masters trophy at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2023, in Augusta, Georgia. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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Rahm said it was difficult not to be at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera and The Sentry in Hawaii. He added it was "hard not to be at [the Waste Management] Phoenix Open."
Of course, Rahm will be defending his Augusta National victory, and he'll be there placing the green jacket on someone else – unless, of course, he goes back-to-back.
"It is not an easy decision because I've had a really successful career, and I've been very happy. But there's a lot of things that LIV Golf has to offer that were very, very enticing, starting with team golf," he told Fox News’ Bret Baier during his LIV announcement. "Being part of a team is something that's been really big for me throughout my career."
Jon Rahm, left, and LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman pose for a photo in New York on Dec. 7, 2023. (Scott Taetsch/LIV Golf via AP)
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But at the moment, that's all he is able to defend against the rest of the PGA Tour.
"Yeah, the money is great," he continued. "Obviously, it is wonderful. But what I've said before is true. I do not play golf for the money. I play golf for the love of the game and for the love of golf. But as a husband, as a father and as a family man, I have a duty to my family to give them the best opportunities and the most amount of resources possible. And that's where that comes in. Obviously, it is a factor, and it was an important one, obviously, in this decision."
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