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, he announced he was joining LIV Golf, and let’s just say, it didn’t exactly go unnoticed in the golf world, with many even labeling him as a traitor…

The recent instance of the same came after Golf Digest posted a photo of the golfer on X on December 7, asking, “What are your thoughts on Jon Rahm a year after his move to LIV Golf?” And, as expected, the focus was soon shifted toward his supposedly “terrible decision”. But before we get to that part..

Rahm reportedly signed with the Saudi-backed tour for a mind-boggling $566.4 million. And thanks to the same, he ranked as the second-highest-paid athlete (behind Cristiano Ronaldo) globally by Forbes this year. “Rahm’s decision to join LIV Golf last December has been enormously lucrative..,” the publication had noted in its report.

But if you ask the former PGA Tour star, it has never been about the money. Well, at least initially. In a conversation with Golf.com in 2022 amid rumors of a LIV Golf inclusion, Rahm had noted, “Money is great, but when [my wife] Kelley and I started talking about it, and we’re like, ‘Will our lifestyle change if I got $400 million?’ No, it will not change one bit. Truth be told, I could retire right now with what I’ve made and live a very happy life and not play golf again. So I’ve never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons. I play for the love of the game, and I want to play against the best in the world.”

However, a few months later (after leaving PGA Tour), there was a slight change in his tone when addressing the move. “I think dynamics started to change and there was a lot of division at that time. And yes, for me to want to change, there had to be reasons beyond the money, right? So when I said that [in June 2022] I fully meant it and it was true.”

“Now, when they slap you with a large amount of money in your face, your feelings do change. I try not to be a materialistic person, but I do owe it to my family as well to set them up for success the best I can, and having kids I think changed that quite a bit. So the money is a part of it; I’m not going to lie. But again, when I said that, I wasn’t fully aware of what I was saying because you don’t really understand.” Rahm made his LIV debut at the Mayakoba event on February 2 this year, 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.

Having said that, 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.

However, when it comes to his professional life, fans are still pissed, which was amply evident on X.

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. One comment even read, “Fraud & a Sellout”.

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!