With its arrival, LIV Golf managed to attract a large number of golfers and create a bit of chaos. Surprisingly, many players decided to seek their fortune at LIV Golf and build a career on the Tour, which is financed by Saudi Arabia. This caused a chain reaction. It seemed that many were afraid of such reactions and would not go after the money. However, the offers were such that many could not resist and immediately agreed to leave the PGA Tour and continue their career at LIV Golf. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises is the departure of Jon Rahm and his joining LIV Golf.
The Spaniard has been linked with LIV Golf for months, but it seemed that he would not leave the PGA Tour. A few days later, the official confirmation arrived and Rahm became a new member of LIV Golf. Everyone was surprised.
However, when they heard what kind of money was involved, many changed their minds. It is still not certain, but the media writes that the contract between LIV Golf and Rahm is worth as much as 500 million dollars! An incredible figure, it must be admitted. Padraig Harrington recently spoke about LIV Golf and its excitement and referred to Jon Rahm’s arrival. He believes that both parties benefited from this kind of deal.
“(Rahm) is the biggest player (LIV Golf) have got, the biggest shift,” -Harrington told The Mirror!
Many predict that Rahm will dominate the golf scene in the future. Harrington is one of those who believes that the Spaniard will achieve his goals in the coming time. Looking at the course of his career, it’s hard not to imagine that Jon is ready to dominate the golf scene. Whether going to LIV Golf will turn out to be a good option remains to be seen. Many are optimistic that this is indeed the right move by Rahm.
“They didn’t overpay for Jon Rahm because it was seismic the shift in people’s opinion with him going. You could argue other players, but Rahm said he wasn’t going and he is a stalwart.”
Although he is not optimistic that Rahm will be No.1, Harrington believes that he has the potential for great things.
Rahm© Getty Images Sport – Stuart Franklin / Staff
“He might not be World No.1, but he looks like he is going to be a top two or three player for the next 10 years. Whatever they paid for him it was well worth it.”
Padraig Harrington
Harrington highlighted an interesting point, mentioning that the recent deal sets a high starting point for future player contracts and renegotiations. He explained that players, even those currently on teams, go through renegotiations every three years, but these contracts don’t secure a lifelong commitment from the teams. Golf has experienced big changes in the last year or so. A huge amount of money has started to be invested, and it is expected that even more money will be at stake in the future. The PGA Tour fears exactly that.
They know well the financial power of LIV Golf, and the fact that with their money they can secure much bigger contracts than the PGA Tour can. In such an environment, it is difficult to compete and expect certain dominance. Especially now when many golfers decide to give themselves to LIV Golf. It was Rahm’s departure that created a huge fear that many would follow the same path.
The PGA Tour-PIF deal also raises concerns. Although a solution was initially planned to be found and a final agreement reached by December 31, things could take much longer. The next few weeks and months will be a chance for both sides to determine certain details and achieve their goals. This would mean the most to golf as a sport, given that this kind of chaos does not suit anyone. Harrington also shared his thoughts on the PGA Tour-PIF deal.
Harrington is hopeful for a deal in the next few months but believes the best way to reach an agreement is by bringing in an independent adjudicator from outside of golf. He suggests that having someone impartial is important because both sides might have biases, making negotiations difficult. Harrington proposes involving a person with no connection to golf to objectively set rules and facilitate the process.
Time will tell best what will happen in the future of this sport. It is to everyone’s advantage to find a common language and the best solution for current problems. Fans want to watch golf that they used to watch in. It is necessary to be patient, wait and see if both sides really want to make a compromise and bring good to golf.
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