Will PGA Tour’s No. 3 Player Bolt For LIV Golf’s Reported $600M Offer?

It may be a relatively slow period on the pro golf calendar, but the sport is buzzing thanks to rumors that LIV Golf is aggressively pushing to sign its biggest player yet.

Jon Rahm, the No. 3-ranked player in the world and defending Masters champion, reportedly has an offer to sign with the controversial Saudi-backed league for $600 million. That would mark the biggest paycheck yet shelled out by LIV.

Phil Mickelson is currently believed to have accepted the highest offer — around $200 million —  while players like Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau are said to have received $100 million-plus deals. Tiger Woods reportedly turned down an offer from LIV worth nearly $800 million.

Rahm, who once said LIV was not in his future, recently pulled out of competing in the first season of TGL before the new virtual golf league, co-founded by Woods and Rory McIlroy, delayed its launch by one year to 2025. TGL has a working relationship with the PGA Tour. LIV members are not a part of any TGL roster.

The PGA Tour’s 2024 FedExCup regular season begins the first week of January in Maui. LIV’s 2024 schedule starts the first week of February in Mexico.

Deadline Looming

Last month, Mickelson said he was confident that more high-profile players would join LIV in 2024.

Since the announcement of the PGA Tour’s deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in June, LIV hasn’t poached any more major golfers. But if the two sides fail to reach an agreement by their Dec. 31 deadline, LIV could get aggressive in stealing players yet again.