With Jon Rahm and LIV Golf Reported to Be in Final Talks, Here Are the Top 3 Teams He Might Join

If things go to plan, Jon Rahm could be joining LIV Golf soon. He is said to be in advanced talks with the breakaway Tour. But nothing has been finalized as yet. Money is not a problem, but according to reports, Rahm wants a modified structure of the league.

The LIV Golf league has 12 teams and at the moment, seven of them have vacancies for players. But Rahm, the reigning Masters champion, is expected to join a high-profile side. From that perspective, his choices narrow down to three.

Options for Jon Rahm

It is believed to be a three-way race to rope in Jon Rahm, and the teams include Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC, Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC and Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC. But more on this later, for it still needs to be seen if Rahm makes a switch and joins LIV Golf.

“Jon Rahm is in late stage talks to join LIV Golf and it’s believed the hold up is not financial, but is due to him wishing to modify the format of the league,” golf fan media Flushing It posted on its X handle.

It added: “Any changes would need the approval of all team captains as well as the league themselves. This is making negotiations difficult, but they are intensifying.”

LIV Golf League has 14 events in a season, where the players accumulate both individual and team points apart from prize money. A Team Championship event is played as a season-ender. Here’s a look at who are in the fray to have Jon Rahm, if he jumps ship.

1. Fireballs GC

Jon Rahm is a Spaniard like the team captain Sergio Garcia. The team also has another Spaniard in Eugenio Chacarra. And the connection could be the clincher. After Rahm won the Masters this year, Garcia lauded his compatriot via an Instagram post that said: “Amazing display of golf from my friend and fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm. Can’t wait for next year’s champions dinner. Welcome to our very special club!”

Read more: Is Jon Rahm Defecting to LIV Golf? The Former World No.1 Sends Fans Into Meltdown With Latest Bizarre TGL Move

Rahm, in turn, returned the favour when he told reporters ahead of the BMW PGA Championship: “I think it would be really stupid of anybody not to lean on Sergio Garcia’s experience in the Ryder Cup.”

1. Smash GC

Captained by Brooks Koepka, this team is also said to be in the running to have Jon Rahm. On the face of it, the two had had a fall-out, when Koepka, an American, called Rahm “a child” during the Ryder Cup, with the latter responding strongly. But grapevine has it that the duo might also have a conversation during the tournament about LIV Golf’s possibilities.

1. HyFlyers GC

It’s an all-American team at the moment, with Phil Mickelson as captain. Although Rahm calls Mickelson “a friend”, his response was lukewarm, when the latter took to X earlier this year to laud LIV Golf’s format for keeping the players “fresh” for the Majors. However, Mickelson and Rahm reportedly had one-on-ones over the course of the season at Majors.

But doubts remain. Jon Rahm, if he were to join LIV Golf, would be a big catch for the Saudi Arabia-backed Tour. “It’s important to stress that this is NOT a done deal yet, and LIV are officially denying it,” Flushing It posted. Do you think Jon Rahm will bite the bait?

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