WSJ: Jon Rahm to Join LIV Golf on $450-600M Contract; Won 2023 Masters Tournament

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Reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm is set to move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf.

Per Cara Lombardo, Louise Radnofsky and Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal, Rahm’s deal with LIV is expected to be worth between $450-600 million and could be finalized as early as this week. It will be among the richest the Saudi-backed league has offered any golfer.

There has been speculation that Rahm was set to leave the PGA Tour. He wasn’t included among the commitments released this week for the American Express tournament in January. He’s played in the event each of the past two years, winning in 2023.

Rahm’s deal also comes at a time when the merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf that was originally announced in June is in a state of limbo. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said at an event last week that Dec. 31 remains a “firm target” date for the merger to be finalized.

Bloomberg’s Malathi Nayak and Giles Turner reported in October the merger wouldn’t be completed by the end of this year due to a variety of issues, including the ongoing investigation from the U.S. Justice Department to determine if it violates antitrust laws.

Even if the potential merger does go through, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman has said the two groups will still operate independent of each other.

Rahm will be the best player LIV Golf has signed away from the PGA Tour since it launched it in 2021.

The 29-year-old is currently ranked No. 3 in the official world golf rankings, behind Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. He has 11 career wins on the PGA Tour, including the 2021 U.S. Open and 2023 Masters.

LIV Golf’s 2024 schedule tees off on Feb. 2 at El Camaleón Golf Course in Mexico. Its first United States event of the year will be at Las Vegas Country Club from Feb. 8-10 during Super Bowl week.