‘Fraud & a Sellout’: Jon Rahm Finds Zero Love From Fans as $566.4M Shocker Invites Criticisms Again

Completing a year in your career generally means people congratulating you on covering a milestone. Yes, ‘generally.’ But Jon Rahm is one of those odd outliers whose one-year anniversary as a LIV golfer isn’t exactly being met with celebrations from golf fans. After a remarkable career, including holding the world number one spot in the Official World Golf Ranking as a PGA Tour pro, Rahm made the bold decision to jump boats.

On December 7, 2023, Rahm announced he was joining LIV Golf, and let’s just say, it didn’t exactly go unnoticed in the golf world. As you might expect, this decision was met with a lot of criticism, with Rahm even being labeled a ‘traitor’ by many. But now what’s done is done, and now all we have is his LIV Golf journey to look ahead. But before we do, let’s take a moment to reflect on his 2024.

How was Jon Rahm’s 2024?

Well, first and foremost, 2024 saw Rahm ranked as the second-highest-paid athlete globally by Forbes. That £450m ($566.4m) move to LIV didn’t hurt his wallet, that’s for sure. He made his LIV debut at the Mayakoba event on February 2, 2024, leading his Legion VIII team to victory.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Rahm faced a suspension from the PGA Tour, and his Masters performance was underwhelming, finishing T45 after a challenging weekend. Though he grabbed two victories in LIV events — one in July at LIV Golf UK and another in September at LIV Golf Chicago — neither of these wins set the golf world on fire the way some of his PGA Tour performances had in previous years.

On the other hand, Rahm had a pretty big year outside of golf, too. He and his wife welcomed their baby daughter, which led him to cut back on his tournament schedule in the latter part of the year. His focus shifted more toward family and a balanced life, which many fans, even those critical of his LIV move, can likely respect.

Now, as Rahm completes one year with LIV Golf, Golf Digest posted a picture of him on their X handle asking fans their thoughts on his journey since the switch. The reactions? Well, let’s just say not exactly filled with praise.

Fans express their aversion to Jon Rahm’s LIV one-year anniversary

When Golf Digest dropped the post asking fans about Jon Rahm’s year in LIV Golf, it didn’t take long for the opinions to start flying. One fan didn’t hold back, writing, “His stock is way down. He allowed himself to be made into a useful idiot by the Saudis and Greg Norman. And after all the nonsense he fed us about his motivations and lack of interest in LIV, he showed himself to be a total fraud and a sellout.”

Well, that reaction isn’t entirely baseless. Rahm had previously declared his loyalty to the PGA Tour, famously stating, “This is my official, my one and only time I’ll talk about this, where I am officially declaring my fealty to the PGA Tour,” (via Gulf News). But, as we all know, loyalty has a price, and in Rahm’s case, it may have come in the form of a reported $566.4 million deal to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Another fan chimed in, “Same as the day it was announced! It doesn’t bother me but a terrible decision with regards to his relevance, IMO.” The sentiment here isn’t just personal; Rahm’s performances since joining LIV haven’t exactly set the world on fire. With only two victories in 2024, he’s struggled to replicate the form that once made him a dominant force on the PGA Tour.

And then there was this gem: “Instead of being a big fish in the PGA pond, he’s a little fish overseas and outta sight…” This comment touches on something significant: visibility. LIV Golf’s limited reach and its lack of integration with the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) mean that Rahm, like other LIV players, has slipped from the global spotlight he once thrived in. Damn!

But not all fans seemed overly critical. One wrote, “He’s richer but not happier and less satisfied. He’s waiting for the merger probably more than anyone,” a fan wrote, while the other chimed in saying, “He got paid a ton. Already won majors. Who cares, get paid and play as little as possible.”

Well, there is actually a lot of truth to it. And even Rahm agrees to that. In a conversation with ESPN earlier, Rahm revealed, “I don’t want to skip through this point cause there’s no point, there’s a big change in the way the golfers get compensated.”

“I’d be lying if it wasn’t a big part of it. In a nutshell, I’m getting paid more to play the same sport and have more time. I don’t know about most people but that sounds good to me.”

Rahm’s first year with LIV Golf has been a bit of a rollercoaster—huge paychecks on one hand, and plenty of fan criticism on the other. Sure, he’s cashed in big time, but not everyone’s loving his decision, and it’s stirred up some strong opinions. What do you think? Does the financial payoff justify the scrutiny? Or has Rahm compromised too much? Let us know in the comments!