Yes, Jon Rahm Joining LIV Golf Was Nothing But A Giant 'Fu-k You' From The Saudis To The PGA Tour
When PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan announced on June 6 that the Tour and PIF had agreed upon a framework agreement to merge, it seemed like the two sides had decided to come together to simply work alongside one another, as equals.
In the simplest of breakdowns, the Saudis were going to invest a couple of billion dollars and the Tour and PIF would join forces to create a new for-profit entity with LIV Golf and the PGA Tour continuing to do their own separate things.
Things, however, aren't always as they seem, especially when the government gets involved.
The original framework agreement included a provision that prohibited the Tour and LIV from poaching players from either side, which made sense seeing as how the Saudis were working to have their hands in both.
The U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and the numerous politicians whose favorite phrase suddenly became "sports washing" had concerns, so the provision to stop the poaching was axed.
This then allowed the Saudis and their $600 billion PIF to resume their hunt and on December 7, exactly 184 days after the framework agreement was announced, LIV Golf landed the biggest cat in the jungle not named Tiger Woods by signing Jon Rahm.
Jon Rahm joining LIV Golf was the biggest blow to the PGA Tour yet. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
The PGA Tour seemed to be taking a break from the war in professional golf, which made sense given the agreed-upon framework with the Saudis, but the Saudis don't take breaks because they don't like losing.
As an unnamed source close to merger negotiations recently told ESPN, LIV's signing of Rahm was nothing but a note that read "fu-k you" addressed to the PGA Tour and signed by the Saudi PIF.
"It was nothing more than a shot across the bow," the source told ESPN. "It was a f--- you by PIF to the tour that they can grab anyone, even the guy who was adamant about not joining. $300 million is a rounding error to the Saudis. Their message was: 'You want to keep fighting with us, really? You want to keep talking to everyone and box us out? Good luck with that.' That's their message."
Rahm signing with LIV Golf made two things crystal clear.
One: The Saudis do not appreciate the fact that the Tour has been negotiating with private investors for a piece of the pie that is professional golf, or at the very least they don't like how the Tour's side chats have only delayed the merger.
Two: The Saudis aren't in the business of finishing second. Six months ago it may have seemed like the PGA Tour would still be the top dog in professional golf and the Saudis were going to be content with LIV being No. 2, but writing a check rumored to be $600 million for Rahm isn't the type of move a second-tier organization makes just for the sake of it.
Follow Mark Harris on X @itismarkharris and email him at mark.harris@outkick.com