When Jon Rahm joined Fox News to confirm his decision to bolt from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, Tiger Woods was prepared to make an announcement, too.
The 47-year-old golfer, who played the Hero World Challenge in his first golf appearance since ankle surgery following the Masters in April, posted a copy of the memo sent by the player directors on the PGA Tour Policy Board Dec. 1, perhaps attempting to counter fear of the Tour losing another top golfer with an attempt to ensure that one of its most successful members still believes in its future.
“The Player Directors are united and all working together to represent the PGA Tour, the entire player membership, and best interests of the sport,” Woods wrote in his post.
He published the memo at 6:22 p.m., which was about 20 minutes after Rahm joined Fox News’ “Special Report” while wearing a black LIV Golf jacket.
The memo, which was reportedly sent to all members, included phrasing about “speculation in our game” and addressed how Woods, Jordan Spieth, Charley Hoffman, Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati and Adam Scott — the six current player directors, plus Scott, who will replace Hoffman — have worked to ensure that “no major decision can be made in the future without the prior involvement and approval of the Player Directors.”
“Since Tiger joined the Policy Board on August 1st, the Player Directors have been doing everything we can to ensure the PGA Tour is best positioned to thrive for decades to come,” the memo stated in its first paragraph. “We have learned a lot, and we are encouraged by progress on multiple fronts.”
After weeks of speculation and rumors, Rahm officially bolted to LIV Golf on Thursday for a deal that reports estimate could be worth at least $300 million and up to $600 million.
It marked a pivot for Rahm, turning his criticism of the sport into compliments of its vision while also acknowledging how the offer was too promising to turn down — even if he can’t participate in future Ryder Cups, though Rory McIlroy believes they should change the rules so someone such as Rahm, a former No. 1 golfer and currently No. 3 in the rankings, could play.
“This decision was for many reasons what I thought was best for me,” Rahm told reporters on a conference call. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great deal. I had a really great offer in front of me and that’s why I took it. They put me in a position where I had to think about it and I did.”
Rahm also could attract other golfers from the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour and influence their decisions to join LIV Golf, though it’s unclear who might follow the 29-year-old.
Though LIV Golf and the PGA Tour announced they had reached the framework of a merger in June, the Tour and the Public Investment Fund have until Dec. 31 to reach an agreement.
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