Jon Rahm has joined LIV in what is understood to be a deal worth up to £450m; Butch Harmon: "I think the more you see some of these players defect to the LIV tournament, it's going to make it easier for everyone to get back together again"
Saturday 9 December 2023 20:54, UK
Butch Harmon has labelled Jon Rahm's multi-million-pound move to LIV Golf as "a major coup", but one that may actually be the catalyst for harmony in the game.
After weeks of speculation, Rahm confirmed on Thursday that he had signed for LIV Golf in a deal understood to be worth up to £450m.
Harmon believes Rahm's move and the damage done to the PGA Tour might hasten a consensus with LIV, resulting in the best golfers back playing in one field.
"I think the more you see some of these players defect to the LIV tournament, it's going to make it easier for everyone to get back together again," Harmon said. "This may be the start of making that happen.
"I think they're going to have to push to get the PGA Tour together with LIV, and the DP World Tour, get them to talk and try to figure out a way for them to all live happily together.
"You may see LIV continuing to live the way they are, or you might see someone from the European tour and the American tour to be able to go back and forth and play one of each.
"They've said all along that will never happen but what happened [with Rahm] is going to bring this closer to fruition and get them all to the same events at the same time. And that's all we want as fans."
Former PGA Championship winner, and Sky Sports golf expert, Rich Beem had earlier labelled Rahm's move as "massively damaging for the PGA Tour", adding: "It tells me there is something going on behind the scenes."
Quizzed on that possibility, Harmon said: "I absolutely think that.
"The PGA Tour has had problems financially. I think that's one of the reasons they had to get away from the litigation they were having with the Saudi-backed tour.
"They were losing a lot of money that way, and they had to increase their prize money."
He added: "This is a great coup for LIV, getting, in my opinion, the best player in the world, a marquee name everywhere in the world.
"And, from what I understand from friends of mine that I know on the tour, there are others that are now seriously thinking about going over there."
Jamie Spence, on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast:
"You are confronted with a guy who has probably got £100m in his account and the rest and now he is taking more as he has to look after his family. That is the biggest load of b******t I hear. It is just greed, that's the shocking part. It is a rich man getting richer.
"I am not a fan of only thinking about yourself in life, there is a bigger picture. Forget everyone else, Jon, who has worked really hard behind the scenes to promote you, put these tournaments on for you and get you where you want to go…
"It is an aggressive move from LIV. How are you going to form a tour where Rahm can come and play in PGA Tour events, DP World Tour events, and he is earning all this money?
"Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and the other guys won't play for nothing. I don't know how that is all going to come together. How do you strike a deal that is fair?
"My reading is that something has gone awry with the talks. Why would LIV sign Rahm if they are going to come to an agreement with the PGA Tour?
"Golf is being ravaged because [PIF] are not coming in with agreements and doing it in a good way. They are knocking the door down, buying what they can and causing disruption.
"I think Rahm has signed because the PGA Tour is all about Tiger Woods and McIlroy and that has started to p**s him off."
