News of Jon Rahm’s decision to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf sent shockwaves through the golfing world.
The sport has been dominated by in-fighting and political division since the launch of LIV Golf in 2021. The millions offered by the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit convinced several big names to leave the PGA Tour early on.
Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf has made his relationship with Tiger Woods awkward (Image: Getty Images)
Then-world No.3 Rahm was initially a vocal critic of the breakaway league. And so it came as a seismic shift in the game’s trajectory when the Spaniard, who had won the Masters earlier that year, signed a mammoth contract with LIV in December 2023.
His $500million deal went some way to explaining his decision. But it was one that proved controversial and maybe even unforgivable to certain peers, notably Tiger Woods.
Explaining his decision to Fox News at the time, Rahm voiced his gratitude towards Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay and Woods, telling them “thank you” for their respective roles in talks about the future of the game.
He added: “I truly hope their resolve is what they want. This wasn’t anything personal with them, it was the choice for me and my family and the better of our future.”
Before going public with his decision, Rahm had pulled out of the inaugural TGL season – the indoor golf league he had headed alongside McIlroy and Woods, leading to its postponement until 2025. He was then absent from the list of names committing to the PGA Tour’s American Express in the upcoming January before finally making his announcement.
Despite snubbing both McIlroy and Woods and risking two of the most outspoken LIV critics’ wraths, the pair’s reactions to Rahm’s controversial move couldn’t have been any more different. Rahm revealed that McIlroy, in fact, had been supportive both privately and publicly.
Shortly after Rahm’s announcement, McIlroy called for the Ryder Cup eligibility rules to be changed to make sure the Spaniard would still be on the team in 2025. And in January 2024, he backtracked his criticism, telling Gary Neville on The Overlap: “I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start. I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realize that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods’ position.”
In contrast, Rahm’s relationship with Woods appears to have broken down completely, with the American seemingly left furious. Two-time Masters champion Rahm explained that, in addition to his “thank you” message, he reached out to Woods in an effort to explain his jump to the rival circuit.
But the Spaniard was given the silent treatment by his former friend, who is synonymous with the PGA Tour after 30 years on the tour. When asked if he’d heard from Woods at all last February, Rahm said: “Tiger? No, not really. I mean, Tiger, I texted him and the people that try to reach out, you know, the process, when I signed and I just let him know, ‘Hey, you know, this is a personal decision. I have nothing against anybody.'”
Tiger Woods ghosted a text message from Jon Rahm ( Image: 2024 Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)
Woods ignoring Rahm may have been a show of solidarity with the Tour, which made him golf’s richest player ever, or perhaps a reaction to the LIV star abandoning the TGL. Regardless, Woods’ stonewalling indicated some hostility and awkwardness in their relationship from that point on.
Ironically, Woods himself is now at the forefront of discussions between LIV and the PGA Tour to put their differences aside and end golf’s toxic civil war. The 49-year-old joined President Donald Trump, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott in a second White House meeting last month, where talks of reunification began with Yasir Al-Rumayyan – governor of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
Woods has also suggested that the PGA Tour could potentially welcome LIV players back, though it remains to be seen whether he will offer Rahm a personal olive branch in that event.
