A new report from a top golf insider claims that the PGA Tour is in “chaos” following Jon Rahm’s shocking departure to LIV Golf this week, and “players are divided” over a merger between the PGA and LIV apparently falling apart.
The golf world was again shaken to its core on Thursday when the rumors of third-ranked player Jon Rahm defecting to LIV became a reality. The deal reportedly will pay the Spaniard around $500 million over three years and will see the upstart tour land one of the very best players on the planet right now.
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The defection was a stunning development since the PGA Tour and LIV Golf had agreed to a handshake deal for a merger earlier this year. Signing Rahm clearly sends a message that rumblings of merger plans falling apart are true and the war between the PGA and LIV is set to restart in the new year.
Player director Patrick Cantlay is reportedly ‘calling the shots’ at the PGA Tour
With the merger highly unlikely, and the PGA now needing a new strategy to compete with the Saudi Arabia-backed league, it seems there are growing problems brewing within the Tour. On Thursday night, Barstool Sports golf insider Dan Rapaport reported that sources described “the behind-the-scenes happenings inside the PGA Tour as ‘a mess.'”
Rapaport claims he was informed that Patrick Cantlay, one of the player directors of the policy board, is “the one calling the shots for the PGA Tour” when it comes to their future. Plus, there is growing fear and divide among players because Acorn Growth Companies is viewed as a favorite to replace the Saudis as an investor in the tour and players believe they will “trim the fat” of the PGA membership.
While the framework agreement between the Tour and LIV was not well received by some players and the United States Congress when it was announced, quite a few PGA members would prefer a deal with the rival tour instead of with Acorn. It has gotten to a point where Rapaport was told a group of players are working to try and “save the PGA Tour” from the potential major changes that could come from getting into bed with the American firm.
Rahm’s defection was a stunning moment for many PGA players since he had previously stated his loyalty to the tour in the past, and was a well-liked individual among many of his contemporaries.