Jon Rahm has experienced a decline in success since his transition to LIV Golf last year and is reportedly considering a return to the PGA Tour, even if it requires relinquishing his substantial earnings. It has been suggested that Jon Rahm is willing to take any necessary steps to facilitate his return to the PGA Tour.
Rahm could even hand back some of his LIV Golf cash to play alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler again. A “veteran tour insider” claims that Rahm is having second thoughts about his switch to the Saudi-backed league.
“I am 100 percent positive that if Jon could give the money back to the Saudis and come back to the tour, he couldn’t write the check fast enough,” the anonymous source told Golf Digest.
Not too long ago, Rahm was dazzling as one of the bright new stars on the PGA Tour. He racked up more than $70million (£54m) in career earnings across the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, and he enjoyed a prestigious stint as World No.1 for over 50 weeks. His 11 PGA victories include triumphs at the Masters and US Open.
However, since his 2023 leap to LIV Golf, Rahm’s performances and fan engagement have not mirrored his previous heights. “Now there are only four times a year when he’s playing that anybody is remotely interested,” the insider added. “He thought his stature in the game was secure no matter where he was playing, and it was a bad miscalculation.”
Aside from last month’s Open, where Jon Rahm finished tied for seventh at three under par, the 29-year-old has faced significant challenges in this year’s major tournaments. He barely made the cut at the Masters, concluding in a tie for 45th place, did not advance in the PGA Championship, and withdrew from the US Open due to a foot infection.
Prior to the Open, Paul McGinley, a former captain of the European Ryder Cup team, speculated that Rahm’s underwhelming performances could be attributed to his alleged discontent with LIV Golf, which was rumored to be pursuing him for a contract exceeding $500 million.
“He is not performing at the level he once did,” McGinley remarked. “His results in major tournaments reflect this. I believe he is not in a positive state of mind; he appears unsettled on the golf course.”
Rahm’s start to 2024 has not been impressive, as he has yet to secure a victory in any of the initial ten LIV events, although he did achieve a tie for third place in both Adelaide and Nashville. Nevertheless, he celebrated a victory in the LIV UK last month, marking his eighth consecutive year with a tournament win.
In recent times, Rahm has been vocal about potential enhancements for LIV Golf. In April, he expressed criticism regarding the event format, advocating for a transition from the current 54-hole tournaments with a shotgun start to a traditional 72-hole format. “The closer we can align LIV with these changes, the more beneficial it will be,” Rahm stated.