Tiger Woods’s position regarding the return of LIV stars to PGA Tour following their dismissal from Jon Rahm due to ghosting.
In December of last year, Jon Rahm contacted Tiger Woods after making the decision to join LIV Golf. Despite sending a text message, he did not receive any response from the renowned PGA Tour athlete.
A text message from Jon Rahm was ignored by Tiger Woods.
A text message from Jon Rahm was ignored by Tiger Woods.
It will come as good news for Jon Rahm that the PGA Tour and Tiger Woods are currently in talks regarding a potential pathway for LIV Golf stars to return, following reports of being ignored over text by the renowned golfer.
Rahm, arguably LIV’s most significant signing from the PGA Tour to date, signed a record-breaking deal worth around £450 million in December. Ahead of this week’s Jeddah event he has discussed his decision to switch teams and revealed that after joining LIV he contacted both Rory McIlroy and Woods for advice.
Despite being one of LIV’s biggest critics in the past, his Ryder Cup teammate McIlroy publicly expressed support for the decision, while 15-time major champion Woods did not.
Rahm informed ESPN that Rory has championed his decision both in public and private. However, Rahm did not receive a response from Tiger when he reached out via text during the signing process. Despite this, Rahm let him know that it was solely a personal choice and holds no grudges against anyone involved.
Woods’ opinion carries significant weight among golfers, considering his unrivaled dominance in the sport with 82 PGA Tour victories. Although Rahm may have been anxious about Woods not responding to him, he can take comfort knowing that the PGA Tour leadership is collaborating with PIF for a potential agreement allowing defected league members to rejoin their former tour.
At this month’s Genesis Invitational, Woods stated that they are exploring multiple models for possible return pathways. At present, there is no definite solution to what it would entail or how players who stayed versus those who left will be affected, but the focus remains on improving their product moving forward.
Potential plans to welcome LIV players back were disclosed by Tiger Woods for the PGA Tour.
“We are examining a completely different spectrum of concepts and their potential outcomes, both in the short term and long term. Currently, we lack certainty about what will materialize regarding our tour’s future prospects. However, I can assure you that there is ongoing communication via frequent emails and discussions to evaluate this matter.”
Following his move towards the end of 2023, Rahm – who had won the Masters tournament- expressed a desire to participate in all three tours: LIV Golf, PGA Tour and DP World Tour despite persistent disagreements among them. Although banned from competing on the American-based circuit just days later; he made it clear that retaining his status with both PGA and DP Word Tours was paramount.
“I am hopeful that I can take advantage of the freedom provided by LIV to participate in both tours. There are certain events on the PGA Tour that I have a keen interest in playing, subject to my availability. If it is possible, then it would be great if I could make arrangements for participation.”