LOS ANGELES: Spanish star Jon Rahm is poised to join LIV Golf in a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars, multiple US media outlets reported on Thursday. The 29-year-old two-time major champion, who had previously pledged his loyalty to the PGA Tour during golf’s bitter civil war, could sign for the Saudi-backed circuit by the end of this week, reports said. The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated and ESPN all reported on Thursday that the reigning Masters champion was finalizing a deal to quit the PGA Tour for LIV. Rahm’s representatives have not commented on the reported deal, which reports have said could be worth between $300 million and $600 million to the Spaniard. If Rahm’s defection to LIV is confirmed, he would become one of the biggest stars to join LIV, the upstart circuit whose emergence has upended the golfing world over the past two years. The looming capture of Rahm comes as the PGA Tour and the Saudi backers of LIV Golf attempt to finalize the details of their bombshell merger announced in June. A deadline of December 31 has been set to agree a framework for the new PGA-LIV joint venture. The Journal speculated Rahm’s signing could either be a tactic by LIV’s backers to force the PGA Tour to conclude a deal by the agreed deadline, or a move to give fresh impetus to the rival circuit in 2024 if the proposed joint tie-up collapses. The possibility of Rahm jumping ship to LIV had once seemed unthinkable. While LIV successfully recruited major winners such as Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, Rahm had been one of the most staunch PGA loyalists, repeatedly stating that the riches offered by LIV held no appeal when balanced against the tradition of the
