“You don't have to be loyal to them” - Paige Spiranac backs Jon Rahm's decision to join LIV Golf
Jon Rahm announced his move to LIV Golf on Dec. 7 after month-long rumors about the same. The Spaniard received heat for the move and is criticized by many for switching sides on the PGA Tour-LIV fight. Despite the criticism, Paige Spiranac has backed Rahm for his move to LIV Golf.
The golf influencer sounded off Rahm's critics on her Playing a Round with Paige podcast. She said that the heat the Masters champion is receiving from PGA Tour fans is “unfair.” She added that the Spaniard is not a “hypocrite” like many claims and he's in the right to move to the Saudi-backed series.
Furthermore, Spiranac sounded off on the PGA Tour for breaking players’ trust and said that people like Rahm “don't have to be loyal” to the circuit in the present-day scenario:
"Everyone says Jon (Rahm) is a hypocrite, but I don't think it's fair. When he said he was loyal to the PGA Tour, that was a while ago. That PGA tour was also loyal to their prayers. And so much has changed in last couple of years that you are also allowed to change your mind.
"When somebody goes against their word, you don't have to be loyal to them anymore. And Jon said this too when we asked him about LIV, ‘if both tours are in a place right now where they are struggling, I would take the money.’ "
It's pertinent to note that this isn’t the first time Spiranac has spoken in support of Rahm’s LIV move.
The golfer-turned-influencer had earlier dubbed the 30-year-old’s defection as “massive news.” Spiranac noted that she's ‘excited’ for what the future unfolds after Rahm’s reported $566,000,000 deal.
Spiranac tweeted:
"Jon Rahm to LIV. This is massive news. Things are about to get very very interesting"
Jon Rahm on his move to LIV Golf
Rahm’s decision to defect to LIV Golf rocked the golf world, with the move getting announced after weeks of speculation. Reports claimed that golfer signed a whopping $566 million deal with the Greg Norman-led circuit, which is yet to be confirmed.
Commenting on his move, Rahm said that he's proud to join LIV. He followed several other LIV players by saying that he's excited to work towards the “growth of the sport.” Furthermore, he admitted that money was a big factor in the decision.
In a press conference after his LIV signing, Jon Rahm said, as per Golf Digest Australia:
"Money was one of the reasons, yeah. I mean, I’m not gonna sit here and lie to you, so it was definitely one of the reasons. … This decision was (made) for many reasons (like) what I thought was best for me, don’t get me wrong.
"It’s a great deal. Right? I had a really good offer in front of me, and it’s one of the reasons why I took it."
Jon Rahm is set to lead his team in the Saudi-backed circuit. As per claims, the PIF-backed circuit is reworking its structure to add a new team.