Former PGA Tour star Jon Rahm made the decision to jump ship to LIV Golf back in December in a somewhat surprising move. But now, it seems like he may be backtracking a bit on his decision.
Rahm, who had 11 PGA Tour victories during his time in the league, spoke about the league ahead of the PGA Championship this weekend which he will be competing in.
In his pre-tournament comments, Rahm claimed that he is “still a part of the PGA Tour”, despite the fact that he is no longer eligible to play on the tour because he departed for LIV.
“I’m still a PGA Tour member, whether suspended or not,” Rahm said. “I still want to support the PGA Tour. And I think that’s an important distinction to make. I don’t feel like I’m on the other side. I’m just not playing there.”
Technically, yes, Rahm is still a PGA Tour member despite being suspended by the league after joining LIV. But he reaps none of the benefits of the average PGA Tour player any longer. He cannot play in PGA Tour events, and essentially can only compete against the best the PGA Tour has to offer in major tournaments, like the PGA Championship later this week.
This led to Rahm receiving a ton of criticism for his comments. Especially from Arron Oberholser, a golf analyst on the Golf Channel.
“I want to wring his neck through the television,” said Oberholser on Tuesday, via Awful Announcing. “I’m that mad right now. I’m that mad. Every player in that locker room on the PGA Tour should be absolutely incensed with him.”
It’s understandable for Oberholser to feel this way. Claiming that you are still a part of the PGA Tour despite leaving the league in favor of LIV Golf makes it seem like Rahm is playing both sides here.
Regardless, it should be interesting to see how Rahm does in the upcoming PGA Championship, which starts on Thursday.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.