No Jon Rahm (yet) as Dustin Johnson welcomes latest LIV Golf signing to 4Aces GC
Jon Rahm hasn't been officially announced to LIV Golf yet, but Dustin Johnson did take the time to announce a brand new signing for his LIV squad. The team captain announced that 4Aces GC has officially traded Peter Uihlein for Harold Varner III in one of the first moves of its kind on the rebel tour.
Rahm is officially headed to LIV Golf after tons of rumors. Reports this morning confirm as much, and the announcement is expected to come sometime this week. For now, the only announcements are about current players, like Varner.
Rahm is one of the biggest draws for LIV yet, and it's reported that he'll be paid $550 million (among the richest deals for any player) to come over for multiple seasons.
Rahm had been rumored to be on the way to the tour after Phil Mickelson claimed it was a done deal. Shortly thereafter, the rumors persisted and reports have now confirmed them. Eventually, he'll be announced. For now, LIV fans will just have to enjoy some trade talk.
Dustin Johnson announces Harold Varner trade
Harold Varner is one of the more outspoken people on the golf course, and he's set to join Dustin Johnson's team this year. The former was previously involved with Bubba Watson's team the RangeGoats GC.
That outspoken nature was once aimed at LIV Golf and not in favor of it. He once called out those on LIV, saying they were just making money and not attempting to change the game of golf.
It was a bit of a surprise then to see Varner eventually make his way over to the breakaway tour. Explaining his decision, he said via GolfMagic:
"The opportunity to join LIV Golf is simply too good of a financial breakthrough to pass by. I know what it means to grow up without much. This money is going to ensure that my kid and future Varners will have a solid base to start on. And a life that I could have only dreamt about growing up. It'll also help fund many of the programs I'm building with my foundation."
It all came down to financials, and LIV has been good for him in that sense. Reports showed that he made $10 million on LIV in 2023. He admitted that people would likely think less of him after his transition:
"Your opinion of me may have changed because of this announcement. No lie, that'll be tough thing to deal with. But I haven't changed - I'm still me. I promise you that."
Now, he's one of LIV's most prominent figures and is joining Dustin Johnson's team, a squad that finished first in the league last year. Varner's old team placed fourth on the leaderboard.
Varner will be a key member of Johnson's squad, and they will aim to repeat as champions. This is a key facet of LIV that the PGA Tour doesn't have, and it makes for an interesting season.