Jon Rahm Was Behind Rory McIlroy’s ‘Sudden Turnaround’? LIV Golf CEO Adds a Surprising Twist

Everything seems to fall into place. Although the merger got delayed, the cross-firing between PGA tour pros and LIV golfers has stopped. Rory McIlroy surprisingly dialed down on his criticism of LIV Golf. Phil Mickelson extended his olive branches to the Northern Irish golfer in return. But it might be Jon Rahm who rebuilt the “bridge,” as Greg Norman, the LIV Golf CEO, reveals, “Maybe he [Rory McIlroy] had a good conversation with Jon Rahm.”

Now, if you are rubbing your eyes and wondering how the stone-cold pro suddenly warmed up towards the rival league, we are totally with you. It’s a rather inexplicable turn of events that very few foresaw in the wake of Jon Rahm’s $566 million switch. But Greg Norman speculates that Jon Rahm might have kickstarted the forward march.

What makes Greg Norman think it was Jon Rahm?

Greg Norman sat down for an interview with Jerry Foltz and Su-Ann Heng of the Fairway to Heaven podcast. Speaking about McIlroy’s change of heart, the LIV Golf CEO said, “Maybe he had a good conversation with Jon Rahm. Maybe Jon gave him the information that we gave Jon, for Jon to come on board with LIV.” 

Norman feels there are many misconceptions about the upstart league. Misconceptions that cloud the judgment of its detractors. The Great White Shark thinks the Spaniard might have offered Rory McIlroy the necessary context about what LIV Golf is and what it isn’t. The four-time Major winner perhaps understood what PIF was “doing for the game of golf, the economic impact we do have in certain regions.”

Echoing the Lefty, who praised the Northern Irishman’s courage, Norman said, “It’s not easy for somebody to be so negative and then all of a sudden turnaround and fall on your sword and say, hey, you know, we are on the right side of history.” It is not going to be easy for the 24-time PGA Tour winner, as the heat he received in the aftermath of the Overlap episode shows.

It should be noted that McIlroy also confirmed he met Yasir Al Rumayyan in December 2022. After the conversation, the four-time Major champion advised the Tour Policy Board to open a communication channel with Rumayyan. Regardless of whether it was Rahm or the PIF chairman himself, Norman is delighted with the way it transpired.

Greg Norman commends Rory McIlroy for his approval

Needless to say, Greg Norman feels vindicated after McIlroy, albeit reluctantly, accepted the post-LIV Golf reality. “Making those positive comments towards LIV from an innovation standpoint is a very powerful testament to going back to saying what we have is right.” the 68-year-old CEO said.

Read More: Top 3 Times Rory McIlroy Made a U-Turn on LIV Golf Despite Long-standing Feud

Notably, the Australian was the first to float the idea of an international league in the 90s with top golfers. But the PGA Tour torpedoed it. Once again, almost three decades later, he faced more backlash from players and golf fans alike when LIV Golf announced him as the CEO. But a rather positive approval from Rory McIlroy, the harshest critic of the breakaway league, lets him off the hook.

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