World No 3 Jon Rahm says he does not expect financial compensation from the PGA Tour for not jumping ship to join LIV Golf after an agreement was reached for the two entities to merge.
In a shock announcement last month, the PGA and DP World Tours agreed to merge with the golf-related businesses of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which had bankrolled huge signing bonuses for players to join LIV.
Details remain sparse as to how the deal will work in practice with leading players from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf admitting this week they remain in the dark.
According to reports, Phil Mickelson received a signing bonus of $200-million to join LIV, while other Major champions Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson all banked over $100-million each.
But Masters champion Rahm believes compensation for players who remained loyal to the PGA Tour should not be one of the stumbling blocks to an agreement.
“I understand the PGA Tour wanting to do something for those players who helped and stayed on the PGA Tour, but at the same time – and I’ll be the first one to say – I wasn’t forced into anything. It was my choice to stay,” said Rahm.
“We all had the chance to go to LIV and take the money and we chose to stay at the PGA Tour for whatever reason we chose.
“As I’ve said before, I already make an amazing living doing what I do. I’m extremely thankful, and that all happened because of the platform the PGA Tour provided me.
“As far as I’m concerned they’ve done enough for me, and their focus should be on improving the PGA Tour and the game of golf for the future generations.”
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has been criticised by the likes of three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth and world No 6 Xander Schauffele for the lack of transparency over the deal, which intends to bring to an end golf’s civil war.
Rahm, though, said he will hold back any judgement until it becomes clear what the future of the Tour looks like.
“I think what the management of the PGA Tour, the turn they took without us knowing was very unexpected, but I still think he’s [Monahan] been doing a great job,” added Rahm.
“Right now after that happened, I only think it’s fair to give them the right time to work things out.
“I still think they have the best interest of the players at heart.
“All we have right now, it’s a framework agreement. It’s an agreement to have an agreement. We really don’t have anything right now to be able to say or judge what they’ve done.”
© Agence France-Presse
