Jon Rahm’s honest nine-word LIV Golf statement vindicated after major U-Turn

Jon Rahm has been arguably the standout player on the LIV Golf Tour this season and is on the verge of being crowned individual champion of the breakaway competition

Jon Rahm’s leap from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf seems to be paying off.

The Spaniard became the highest-paid golfer in the world after signing a whopping £386million deal with the Saudi-backed tour in December last year. The move caused a bit of a stir given that the 29-year-old had previously expressed scepticism about LIV’s format, and emphasised his focus on legacy and history over cash.

But a few weeks later, Rahm admitted that money was in fact the chief motivator in his decision to jump ship, and looking at how much he’s earned this season, it’s fair to say he was right to take the plunge. “I’m getting paid more to play the same sport,” he told ESPN back in February. “I don’t know about most people but that sounds good to me,” he added.

Currently, Rahm is second on the 2024 LIV Golf money list, having raked in $12.75million (£9.72m) in prize money this season. Leading the pack is Joaquin Niemann with $14.5m (£11.1m), while Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka trail behind in third and fourth place, earning $11.46m (£8.73m) and $11.04m (£8.41m) respectively.

Despite trailing Niemann in the earnings table, Rahm recently overtook the Chilean to secure the top spot in the overall LIV Golf standings. With just one event left on the calendar, he’s on the brink of being crowned individual champion. If he maintains his lead, he’ll pocket a further $18m (£13.7m) in prize money.

Rahm, who clinched the US Open in 2021 and the Masters in 2023, hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in a LIV event all season but has only managed one win so far. His lone victory came at LIV Golf UK last month, where he edged out Nielmann by a single stroke.

He almost followed it up with a win at LIV Golf Greenbrier last week but was pipped by Koepka in a thrilling play-off after both players ended on 19 under par. In doing so, Koepka became the first person to win five LIV Golf events.