Masters champion Jon Rahm reportedly signs with LIV Golf
The chatter surrounding Masters champion Jon Rahm's reported move to LIV Golf has gained strength.
Multiple sources close to the matter have told golf podcast Flushing It the Spaniard has agreed to terms to join LIV for the 2024 season.
Rahm's defection is expected to be announced next week.
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The report comes after LIV players privately stated their belief of a deal being done last month.
Jon Rahm of Spain celebrates with the Masters trophy during the 2023 green jacket ceremony. Patrick Smith via Getty Images
At the time, it was understood Rahm could be swayed if offered more than the $572 million he reportedly rejected ahead of the breakaway tour's inaugural season in 2022.
Rahm's contract is rumoured to run through to 2029 with a signing bonus of more than $454 million that would be paid over the life of the contract.
A member of the Tour's Player Advisory Council, Rahm previously pledged his loyalty to PGA Tour.
"This is my official, my one and only time I'll talk about this, where I am officially declaring my fealty to the PGA Tour," he told media in February last year.
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Jon Rahm. Getty
"I'm a PAC member, and I have a lot of belief in (PGA Tour commissioner) Jay Monahan and the product that they're going to give us in the future.
There has been a lot of talk and speculation about the Saudi league. It's just not something I believe is the best for me and my future in golf, and I think the best legacy I can accomplish will be with the PGA Tour."
If true, Rahm's signing raises questions about whether his defection violates the provision between the two competitions that LIV does not recruit players from the PGA Tour.
Rumours of Rahm's potential switch intensified when he withdrew from Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's new TGL venture last month, saying, "It would require a level of commitment that I can't offer".
Even with the divide in the golf world, Rahm has maintained close relationships with several key figures in LIV, including Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson.
It has been suggested Rahm was given the option to join Garcia's Fireballs GC team after Carlos Ortiz's anticipated move to Torque GC. However, opted to captain his own team which he will own 25 per cent of.
Rahm would be another huge coup for the breakaway circuit, the Spaniard having won the Masters in April along with three other trophies this year.
His defection would cause further grief for the PGA Tour as the 29-year-old has an exemption into all four major championships for at least the next five years.
It would also pose an issue for the Ryder Cup, with Rahm having played in each of the last three editions of the series.
