Ashly DhaniJon Rahm is set for a major LIV Golf payday as he chases victory at The Players Championship, despite claims the Spaniard would give back his millions to rejoin the PGA Tour
Jon Rahm is on the brink of bagging a whopping LIV Golf payday, despite rumours swirling that he’s pining for a PGA Tour comeback after allegedly regretting his move to the controversial league.
The Spanish golf ace turned his back on the PGA and signed up with the Saudi-funded circuit in a staggering US$500m (£385m) deal, becoming the face of LIV during the off-season.
Now, Rahm’s poised to scoop the players’ championship, having soared to the top following near-consecutive tour wins.
Post-LIV Golf Greenbrier, the race has narrowed down to just Rahm and Chilean star Joaquin Niemann after Rahm’s runner-up finish and Niemann’s T15 spot.
With Rahm leading the pack and Tyrrell Hatton trailing by 51.68 points in third place, and with a win netting 40 standing points, it’s all boiled down to a nail-biting two-horse race.
A mere 2,97 points separate the top duo making it possible for the championship to hinge on even the smallest of margins.
Both Rahm and Niemann have pocketed a cool $8m (£6m) minimum, having secured at least second place prize money. Yet, the eye-watering $18m (£14m) top prize remains firmly in their sights.
Before the action kicked off at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, golf correspondent Jaime Diaz suggested Rahm was itching to ditch his LIV riches for a PGA return.
“I am 100 per cent positive that if Jon could give the money back to the Saudis and come back to the tour, he couldn’t write the check fast enough,” Diaz stated in Golf Digest.
An insider said, “Now there are only four times a year when he’s playing that anybody is remotely interested. He thought his stature in the game was secure no matter where he was playing, and it was a bad miscalculation.”
With just 17 points separating him from seventh place, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Camron Smith and Brooks Koepka are all gunning for the $4m prize.
Further down the rankings, players are desperate to secure a top 24 finish, which assures them a spot in the 2025 season, while those in spots 25 to 48 find themselves in the Open Zone, facing the possibility of being re-signed or snatched up by other teams.
In the meantime, at the bottom of the table, the threat of relegation looms, with athletes battling to steer clear of the Drop Zone.
Finish 49th or below and you’re heading to the LIV Golf Promotions tournament next year unless your contract saves you from the chop. — mirrorsport
Bongani Ndlovu