“Would've got me quaking in my boots” - Sir Nick Faldo weighs in on Jon Rahm's rumored LIV Golf deal
The rumors surrounding Jon Rahm's move to LIV Golf continue to spread like wildfire, and Sir Nick Faldo has now weighed in too. The legendary golfer believes that the reported figures that Rahm would get, and others have gotten from the breakaway tour, would have been hard to ignore.
Reports have indicated that a potential Rahm move would cost LIV between $300 million and $600 million. The reported figure is massive, and Faldo admitted that a huge sum like that would have made him consider a move.
"Slightly different era, but [three million] on the table would've got me quaking in my boots," he said via GolfMagic.
Faldo has criticized the tour before, so this is an admission that money truly does talk. He said back in June, as reported by ESPN:
"They call it a team [event] and it's not because it's strokeplay. You see your mates on the putting green and say, 'play well' and you see them in the scorers tent and say, 'what did you shoot?' That's it. A team is out there helping, shoulder to shoulder. That's a true team."
Faldo further said the Ryder Cup was a true team event and that LIV doesn't come close to replicating the atmosphere or passion that players in that event have.
He added:
"It's only half a dozen [players] that are really current, half of the field I don't really know and half the field are there for the very nice last-placed money that you still get if you shoot 20 over."
Rahm has also criticized LIV in the past. He once said it wasn't a proper tournament and that the money they'd offer him wasn't life-changing enough to make a switch.
Jon Rahm LIV Golf rumors continue to persist
Jon Rahm's earlier ideas may have changed, as many reports indicate that a move to LIV Golf is very close to happening. He also withdrew from the American Express event on the PGA Tour.
Given the PGA Tour's schedule changes and designated events, a withdrawal might mean nothing at all. However, with rampant speculation on his future, it warrants attention.
Rahm also declined to take up an open spot on the Player Director Board for the Tour and withdrew from Tiger Woods' TGL. Those, again, would otherwise be normal decisions, but everything comes under the microscope when LIV is involved.
The idea that he's going to leave the Tour and join Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and others on LIV is gaining a lot of steam, but nothing is official at the time of writing.
Rahm, the 2023 Masters winner, is one of the best players in the world. He ascended to World No. 1 in 2023, but eventually was supplanted and has dipped to World No. 3. If he were to leave, that would likely be as high as he ever got, since LIV does not currently get OWGR points.
Rahm would be able to play in the major tournaments and earn points, but no other sanctioned events would allow him into the field if he were a member of LIV Golf.