Jon Rahm Doesn’t Expect a Payout From PGA Tour For His Loyalty: “I Wasn’t Forced Into Anything”

Jon Rahm said he would not want a payout for remaining loyal to the PGA Tour, opposing other Tour professionals who stated they would like to be compensated for not taking the potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses they declined from LIV Golf.

Although their Tour decided to merge with the Saudi-backed golf league anyway, Rahm said in interviews today, just two days ahead of the first round of The Open Championship, that he does not want a bonus for remaining loyal to the Tour.

Jon Rahm doing @JonRahmPGA things @TheOpen 👀pic.twitter.com/Nh4ceFR28v

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 17, 2023

Rahm said (via Golf Channel):

“I wasn’t forced into anything. Do I think they absolutely should be and there must be a compensation? No. I just stayed because I think it’s the best choice for myself and for the golf I want to play.”

Rahm was likely one of LIV’s most sought-after players. After signing with Callaway in 2021, the Spaniard hit a hot streak, winning a Major Championship during his first year with the brand.

Since then, he has routinely battled for the OWGR’s #1 spot with Scottie Scheffler, who has been the only person in the last few years that can say they’ve played as well as, or even better, than Rahm.

Rahm’s perspective is rare among those who decided to stay on the Tour. Rory McIlroy, when asked about the compensation package that could be headed toward the loyal players, said:

“The simple answer is yes. The complex answer is how does that happen.”

Chesson Hadley also said:

“I would like to be rewarded for my decision to stay loyalty.”

Rahm feels differently, and that he has been rewarded enough by the PGA Tour. He was presented with a chance to take life-changing money and declined it.

John Rahm reportedly turned down upwards of nearly 400 million dollars to join LIV before the merger. He was asked if he thinks the players who stayed should still be rewarded for staying on the PGA Tour and he still says no.

Jon is the voice of reason golf needs pic.twitter.com/nsvhEP4jQ5

— Tour Pro 🏌️‍♂️ (@OfficialTourPro) July 18, 2023

If he wanted a massive payout, he would have taken it, and for that, he does not feel that he wants, or even needs, hundreds of millions of dollars as a reward for being loyal:

“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. 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 future generations.”

However, if the Tour still plans to do what they said they would, which is come up with some sort of compensation for the players that remained loyal, he will accept it.

“I’m not going to say no,” he said with a laugh.

Cover Image via Twitter