The TGL has been slowly releasing team names as well as its format to build hype as its first match on Jan. 9, 2024, quickly approaches. On Thursday, the tech-infused golf league had some bad news to share.
Jon Rahm won’t be playing in the inaugural season.
The two-time major champion was one of the first players to join the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy-led venture that will see six teams of four players compete on a state-of-the-art simulator in a newly built stadium in Florida. Rahm, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour and the Player of the Year in 2021, was removed from social media posts and the league’s website earlier this week. The league sent the following statement Thursday morning:
“We will miss (Rahm) during the inaugural TGL season. We understand that players have to balance a lot of different facets of their professional and personal lives and respect Jon’s choice and wish him well.”
The league said it will name a new player to replace Rahm soon.
The news sent social media into a frenzy with rumors and claims that Rahm may be the next player to join LIV Golf, especially after Phil Mickelson and LIV officials said at the recent team championship that new talent would make the jump to LIV in 2024. Rahm was at one point managed by Phil’s brother, Tim, and both Rahm and Lefty are managed by the same agency, Sportfive.
There has been no official word that Rahm will join LIV, and the move would be shocking for those who follow the game closely. The 2023 Masters champion was adamant that he wanted LIV Golf’s Sergio Garcia to be involved in the recent Ryder Cup, but he also been outspoken in his support for the Tour over the last year.
“Yeah, I mean, I think we all know where we stand. There’s still going to be players that choose to transition to LIV is my guess,” said Rahm in January of this year. “But for a lot of us, I think we see the direction the PGA Tour is going towards, right? I mean, they’re making the necessary changes to adapt to the new age and I think it’s better for everybody.”
He also said while he understands the appeal that LIV Golf may have for some, “To be honest, part of the (LIV) format is not really appealing to me. Shotgun three days to me is not a golf tournament, no cut. It’s that simple,” said Rahm. “I want to play against the best in the world in a format that’s been going on for hundreds of years. That’s what I want to see.”