Jon Rahm makes pitch for ‘some type of union’ between the PGA Tour, LIV Golf

Monday’s meeting between the PGA Tour Enterprises board of directors and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, was widely viewed as an important step toward the two sides reaching a deal that could reunite the game. On Tuesday, former world No. 1 and reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm made his own pitch for reunification of the professional game.

“I think there’s a way of coexisting and if there’s some type of union, I don’t know what that looks like, but I just want to be able to see the best in the world compete against the best in the world, whatever that looks like,” Rahm said during a video press conference for next month’s Masters. “I think there’s room for all of us and there’s room for the game of golf to get to the next level and have more viewership options.”

“What that looks like” has emerged as the most pressing concern as the two sides appear to be inching toward a possible deal, and opinions vary on how team golf and the traditional individual model could fit together. On Sunday at The Players Championship, Rory McIlroy suggested a potential deal could see the Tour and LIV Golf coexist while maintaining their own product and competitions.

“In my mind, you should leave the individual golf the individual golf and then you play your team golf on the sort of periphery of that,” McIlroy said.

Rahm, who had questioned LIV Golf’s team concept before joining the breakaway league late last year, also contended there’s room for both products on the calendar.

“When it comes to football, for example, or soccer, you have the Premier League, you have the Spanish League, you have the Bundesliga, Serie A, you have the French league, and also on top of that you have the main two European events, right, the Champions League and the Europa Cup, and everybody watches all of those no matter what team they support,” Rahm said. “There is a way of having golf deliver and be able to put out a different product that’s better for everybody, not me or for players but for spectators in general.”

In the short term, however, without a deal that could reunite the game, the Spaniard said the major championships will become even more important as the only place golf’s best players, from both the Tour and LIV Golf, are able to compete.

“I think that’s what’s making this Masters and many other majors going to be so much fun,” he said, “not only for me and for players but for spectators, is for all of us to be able to play together again and showcase what we’re capable of.”