It doesn’t take much to get the golf rumor mill going these days.
That was apparent when last week Jon Rahm’s decision to drop out of TGL’s inaugural season sparked speculation that the world No. 3 would be the next big name to jump to LIV Golf.
After people noticed that Rahm’s name and likeness had been scrapped from TGL’s website, Rahm took to X, formerly Twitter, to confirm that he would not be participating in the new technology-infused golf league, which is backed by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and the PGA Tour, among others.
“I am sad to confirm that I will not be participating in the first TGL season,” Rahm wrote. “While I still think it’s a great opportunity, right now it would require a level of commitment that I can’t offer.”
The TGL added via statement: “We will miss [Rahm] during the inaugural TGL season. We understand that players have to balance a lot of different facets of their professional and personal lives and respect Jon’s choice and wish him well.”
Despite Rahm saying in June 2022, “My heart is with the PGA Tour,” and saying more recently on a Spanish golf podcast that even Phil Mickelson himself had told Rahm that he had “no reason to go play for LIV,” a multitude of accounts on X began swirling the rumor that Rahm’s TGL departure meant he’d soon be leaving the PGA Tour for LIV, too. Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has also recently tabbed Rahm as a potential – even if unlikely – defector, saying, “Rahm worries me a bit as he seems open to the idea, but I sense that his deep knowledge of the history of the game and his obvious future place in it will keep him from selling out. I hope that’s the case.”
Rahm has yet to specifically address such rumors – not that he needs to – but on Monday, McIlroy did it for him.
“I spoke to Jon a couple days ago and would be very, very surprised if that were to happen,” McIlroy told reporters gathered at Fenway Park for the reveal of his TGL team, Boston Common GC. “I’m pretty confident Jon is a PGA Tour player.”
