The aftermath of Jon Rahm's move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf isn’t quite over yet and the next couple of weeks could see more shockwaves sent across the professional golf world.
Rahm's historic switch has made LIV Golf a more popular commodity for players. CEO Greg Norman said Wednesday that the league is being flooded with players who want to join Rahm and the other stars on the Saudi-backed circuit.
“I think word is getting out there amongst all the players around the world, even the top players, the best players in the world,” Norman told ESPN. “They love our format, they love our platform, they love the team spirit, the team atmosphere. And to be honest with you, I've seen it resonate very, very loudly this year. And obviously, Jon is an incredible addition to us.”
Norman said at least eight players are vying for two or three spots on LIV's 2024 roster, though he didn’t specify names.
“I'll be honest with you, since Jon signed, I know he's been inundated by players saying, ‘I want to play on your team, Jon. How do I get on that?'” Norman said. “And I have been inundated and my other team members, too, my C-suite within the organization. I can tell you, hand on my heart, between eight and 12 guys for about two or three spots and maybe two spots, to be honest with you.”
Is LIV taking over the golf game?
Five months after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund – which finances LIV Golf – reached a framework agreement with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, there is no clear answer as to whether that agreement will become official.
It's anticipated that the agreement will be called off once the calendar flips to 2024 if the two sides (PIF & PGA) can’t come to terms in what would be an unprecedented partnership.
Regardless of what happens, Norman is confident that LIV will continue to thrive and he'll keep his spot as CEO of the league. One of the PGA's sticking points in their negotiations was to eliminate Norman's position, but the former World No. 1 doesn’t seem fazed by that prospect.
“I'm still sitting here,” Norman said. “I still have the support of my investor, and it is what it is. People can say what they want to say without having any knowledge of the outcome.”
Despite the looming pressure on the PGA Tour to retain some of its stars, golf fans aren’t migrating to LIV the way some players are. PGA events on CBS saw a slight increase in viewership in 2023 with the final round of the TOUR Championship reaching its highest views since 2018.
Meanwhile, LIV stopped publicly reporting its TV ratings in May after seeing a dip in viewership during its second season. Even with the losses of some of its biggest stars, the PGA still reigns supreme among golf fans.
It will be interesting to see who joins Jon Rahm as the newest member of LIV Golf before its third season tees off on Feb. 2. If more big names come, will the tide start to turn in LIV's favor? Stay tuned.
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