Jon Rahm Gets Honest On Move To LIV Golf: Less Work, More Money

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Jon Rahm left the PGA Tour and joined LIV Golf in December. Many considered that to be the biggest blow to the Tour and sped up discussions about a potential merger between the two entities. 

The Saudi-backed golf circuit reportedly gave Rahm somewhere between $300-500 million to join, and that's not factoring in any prize money he can earn by winning tournaments. At the end of the day, Rahm couldn't turn down hundreds of millions of dollars. 

None of the guys who bolted for LIV Golf could resist the money. They can say they like the format of LIV or the competition factors or whatever … they took the money. Period. 

Rahm has previously been pretty open about the fact that money played a major role in his decision, unlike many others who claim that it wasn't the deciding factor. 

Jon Rahm plays a shot during the LIV Golf Las Vegas tournament.

Jon Rahm plays a shot during the LIV Golf Las Vegas tournament.

(Lucas Peltier/USA TODAY Sports)

ESPN aired an interview with Rahm on Sunday morning, and he continues to be very honest about his decision-making process. 

"I don't want to skip through this point because there's no point; [LIV Golf offered a] big change in the way golfers get compensated," Rahm said. 

"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a big part of it. In a nutshell, I'm getting paid more to play the same sport while [having more free time]. I don't know about most people, but that sounds great to me." 

Duh. 

Yes, LIV Golf used its considerable financial resources to lure away some of the best golfers in the world from the PGA Tour. 

And the PGA Tour is feeling those effects. Jake Knapp, a 29-year-old Tour rookie, won the Mexico Open on Sunday. 

Kudos to OutKick golf betting expert Geoff Clark, who predicted that Knapp would win the tournament. But, when he told me that he was betting Knapp to win last week, I responded "Who?" 

Trust me: I watch a lot of professional golf. I had never heard of Knapp before last week. That's not a great thing for the PGA Tour. 

Rahm took the money. Most people would do the same. Some would lie about it. Rahm doesn't. 

I can at least respect that. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.