Jon Rahm not thinking about legacy as he prepares for Masters title defence

Masters champion Jon Rahm accepted that his move to LIV Golf will probably have an impact on his standing in the game but said he had hoped his decision would help to reunite the game's top players.

The Spaniard moved to the rebel circuit last December while the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabian backers of LIV Golf were apparently working towards finalising a definitive partnership agreement.

Speaking at Augusta National ahead of his Masters title defence, world No 3 Rahm said part of his motivation to join LIV Golf was that it would play a role in bringing players together.

"I understood my position, yes. And I understood that it could be, what I hoped, a step towards some kind of agreement, yes. Or more of an agreement or expedited agreement," said Rahm.

"But unfortunately it's not up to me. But I would hope it would be something that would help expedite that process. But at the end of the day, I still did what I thought was best for myself."

Rahm accepted a reported $300 million to join LIV Golf eight months after his Masters triumph. The 29-year-old Spaniard acknowledged that decision will be likely to affect his legacy.

"Well, luckily it's still quite early in my career to be thinking about legacy. So it's not really something I have in mind constantly," said Rahm.

"I mean, will it change? Yeah. It's a bit of a detour on my path. But change can be better."

Rahm is one of 13 LIV players in the field this week, including seven who previously have won a green jacket. Augusta National also extended an invitation to Joaquin Niemann of Chile, who did not have the world ranking necessary to get in but won the Australian Open in December.

It is unclear whether a merger of the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia's PIF is