Jordan Spieth’s true character clear after response to Jon Rahm’s LIV decision

Jordan Spieth believes that Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf isn’t all about a cash.

The three-time major champion has stayed faithful to the PGA Tour, in spite of a number of his colleagues opting for lucrative contracts with the Saudi-supported series in recent years.

Rahm had initially sworn his loyalty to the Tour, but made a significant U-turn in joining golfing titans like Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson on signing extravagant contracts. The contract signed by the Spaniard is thought to see him rake in around £386 million, reports the Express.

Spieth, however, suggested that money wasn’t the core reason behind Rahm’s agreement to sign when asked towards the end of last year. Instead, he hinted at a situation within the PGA Tour that drove the 2023 Masters winner to jump ship.

In addition to being one of the globe’s top golfers, Spieth sits as one of six player directors on the Tour’s advisory board and has been involved in talks regarding the sport’s future, given the competition from LIV. Post Rahm’s shift, the American pro revealed his belief that the Spanish golfer’s motivation wasn’t just monetary gain.

“I don’t think for him it was the money,” Spieth told Associated Press in December. “I believe he saw two places that neither one was in a great situation right now, and he said, ‘May as well have the money'”.

While the ongoing talks between the PGA Tour and PIF about creating a new golfing entity continue, Spieth commended the Saudis for securing Rahm’s signature, calling it a “really nice play”.

The American golf legend, who hasn’t clinched a major title since The Open Championship triumph in 2017, remarked: “It’s a really nice play by them. I think we hold the best hand, but they know what our hand is. It’s a nice leveraging tool with everything going on”.

After reaching a framework agreement over a year ago to establish a new profit-driven entity, the details are still not set in stone. Tiger Woods, who sits on the PGA Tour Enterprises transaction committee, expressed his contentment with the ongoing discussions between the two groups.

With fellow golf stars like Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott on the committee, the 15-time major winner shared insights with journalists earlier this month in Scotland, stating: “I can tell you we’re making progress. I can’t tell you more than that just because we’re not going to negotiate on the outside.”

He added: “We’ve got to keep everything at a high level and private, but things are moving and things are changing. It’s evolving each and every day. There’s e-mails and chains and texts and ideas that we bounce back and forth from both sides”.