Jon Rahm hits his tee shot on Monday on the fifteenth gap at Royal Liverpool.
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Jon Rahm, once we final noticed him at a serious championship, was feeling sure of his uncertainty.
He made it clear, too.
“A lot of you guys have talked about being clueless about last week’s news and what the future holds going forward,” a reporter started final month on the U.S. Open. “How frustrating is that …”
Before he may end, although, Rahm butted in.
“Add me to that, by the way.”
The subsequent 15 or so minutes at Los Angeles Country Club adopted in that useless. The world’s third-ranked participant talked of “faith in management.” And whether or not officers would make higher selections than he would. He questioned how a lot opinions have been valued. At that time, the controversial deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund — which might create a brand new, for-profit enterprise and finish pending litigation between the Tour and PIF-funded LIV Golf — was per week outdated, and emotions have been uncooked. In brief, the Tour and LIV had battled for a 12 months, and now they have been bedfellows. Folks, together with Rahm, have been reacting with comprehensible shock.
But now they’re taking part in one other main, the Open Championship. And there Rahm was once more, in a pre-tournament press convention. Has progress maybe been made? Did time maybe do its wound-healing? In the month since, a Congressional listening to revealed among the whys, however the hows are nonetheless largely unknown.
On Tuesday at Royal Liverpool, Rahm’s feedback have been no less than considerably provocative. And could let you know the place issues are heading.
Those frustrations? Lessened.
“Well, what you guys saw was a lot of initial reaction,” Rahm stated. “Obviously it was our preliminary feelings as to what occurred, and now a little bit of the conclusion of, OK, now we’ve to attend till, what’s it, January 1st or every time the settlement says they should finalize these negotiations. Right now, it’s form of the sport of ready.
“Hopefully they’ll attain to — I don’t even know what the phrase is, a partnership or — as a result of it’s not likely a merger. I don’t know. A partnership that they each are completely happy what the end result goes to be, and everyone can transfer on and be the very best golf product we will put on the market. Whatever that appears like, I don’t know.
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“I think it’s obviously cooling down, and now we’re all waiting to see how this moves forward.”
What about communication? Has there been any?
Yes, Rahm stated.
“When they need to know where our heads are at, they’ve reached out, they’ve called me, and I’ve given them my opinion,” Rahm stated. “They’ve been pretty open on that. They’ve employed some folks on Tour to come back to tournaments, they usually’re form of in between us and among the greater administration.
“Yeah, there’s been communication, yes.”
What about Tour commissioner Jay Monahan?
If ever there have been a lightning rod in all of this, it’s been Monahan, who was reportedly simply one in all 4 folks to barter the deal, together with Tour coverage board members Ed Hirlihy and Jimmy Dunne, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor. It was simply final week, on the Scottish Open, in truth, the place professional Xander Schauffele stated he had “a lot less” belief in Monahan.
And Rahm?
“My opinion of him? … I wouldn’t say it’s changed,” he stated. “Jay has behaved so professionally and so effectively with me and my household. I’ve seen him cease to speak to my dad and my mother at a couple of tournaments now, and he’s been actually good to my household. In that sense, he’s a very good man. That’s all I can say.
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“Now, because it involves what he’s been doing for us and the PGA Tour, I believe he’s performed a implausible job. I might say it was surprising what occurred. I believe what the administration of the PGA Tour, the flip they took with out us understanding, was very surprising, however I nonetheless suppose he’s been doing an excellent job. And proper now after that occurred, I solely suppose it’s honest to present them the precise time to work issues out.
“I still think they have the best interest of the players at heart. All we have right now, it’s a framework agreement. It’s an agreement to have an agreement. We really don’t have anything right now to be able to say or judge what they’ve done. That’s all I can say.”
There’s extra.
In the six weeks because the deal, one hotly debated subject has been potential participant compensation for these execs who turned down LIV cash so as to stay with the Tour. One day after the deal’s announcement, on the Canadian Open, professional Rory McIlroy stated he thought execs ought to be rewarded. Two days after, after the Canadian’s first spherical, professional Chesson Hadley wished it, too.
“I would like to be rewarded for some loyalty,” he stated “I mean, I felt — those guys didn’t do the wrong thing, who went to LIV. They made a business decision. I don’t hold that against anybody. But I would like to be rewarded for my decision to stay loyal.”
And Rahm?
We’ll finish issues right here along with his reply. And his humor, which possibly says one thing, too.
“So I understand the PGA Tour wanting to do something for those players who helped and stayed on the PGA Tour,” Rahm stated, “however on the identical time — and I’ll be the primary one to say — I wasn’t compelled into something. It was my alternative to remain.
“Do I believe they completely ought to be and there have to be a compensation? No. I simply stayed as a result of I believe it’s the only option for myself and for the golf I need to play.
“Now, with that said, if they want to do it, I’m not going to say no.”
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