BROOKLINE, Mass. -- If you want a strong defense of the PGA Tour and why its importance to the sport of golf is so significant, look no further than Jon Rahm.
The No. 2 ranked player in the world arrived to The Country Club in Brookline this week to defend his U.S. Open title. Like all of the other golfers who held press conferences Monday and Tuesday, LIV Golf was the subject of many questions.
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Rahm gave a passionate defense of the PGA Tour and also offered a few reasons why the format of LIV Golf is not for him.
“I consider the PGA Tour has done an amazing job giving us the best platform for us to perform," Rahm said. "I do see the appeal that other people see towards the LIV Golf. I do see some of the -- I’ll put this delicately -- points or arguments they can make towards why they prefer it.
"To be honest, part of the (LIV) format is not really appealing to me. Shotgun three days to me is not a golf tournament, no cut. It’s that simple. I want to play against the best in the world in a format that’s been going on for hundreds of years. That’s what I want to see."
LIV Golf has enormous financial backing, and it has been paying golfers massive amounts of money to join. The prize money for LIV Golf tournaments is substantial, too. For example, Charl Schwartzel won the inaugural LIV Golf event in London last weekend and took home $4 million.
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Rahm is not interested in chasing the money that LIV Golf provides.
"Yeah, money is great, but when (my wife) Kelley and I -- this first thing happened, we started talking about it, and we're like, will our lifestyle change if I got $400 million? No, it will not change one bit," Rahm said.
"Truth be told, I could retire right now with what I've made and I'd live a very happy life and not play golf again. So I've never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons. I play for the love of the game, and I want to play against the best in the world. I've always been interested in history and legacy, and right now the PGA Tour has that."
The historical significance the PGA Tour carries is definitely appealing to Rahm. LIV Golf, which started in 2022, does not have nearly 100 years of tradition, memories and iconic tournaments like the PGA Tour.
“There’s meaning when you win the Memorial Championship. There’s meaning when you win Arnold Palmer’s event at Bay Hill. There’s a meaning when you win L.A., Torrey (Pines), some of the historic venues," Rahm said.
"That to me matters a lot, right. After winning this past U.S. Open, only me and Tiger (Woods) have won at Torrey Pines, and it’s a golf course that we like, making putts on the 18th hole. That’s a memory I’m going to have forever that not many people can say. My heart is with the PGA Tour. That’s all I can say."
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