MIAMI – Jon Rahm has said that Tiger Woods did not respond when he attempted to explain his move to LIV Golf to the former world No. 1.
The world No. 3 joined the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit in December for a deal worth around US$500 million (S$673.2 million).
During a recent interview with ESPN, the 29-year-old Spaniard said that he tried texting Woods to discuss his departure.
“I mean, Tiger, I texted him and the people that tried to reach out throughout the process when I signed and just let them know, ‘Hey, this is a personal decision. I have nothing against anybody’,” he added.
Woods seemingly ghosted Rahm over his decision to jump ship, but the captain of LIV Golf team Legion XIII said world No. 2 Rory McIlroy responded in a positive manner.
“Rory has been supportive publicly of my decision and he was privately as well. Tiger, not really,” Rahm said.
Woods, who recently became a player-director for the PGA Tour, has been critical of those who left for LIV Golf.
However, the 15-time Major champion said at the Genesis Invitational earlier in February that the PGA Tour is open to figuring out how LIV golfers can return to play on the Tour.
Rahm has said he would be keen to do so.
“We’re looking into all the different models for pathways back,” said the 48-year-old Woods.
“What that looks like, what the impact is for the players who have stayed and who have not left and how we make our product better going forward, there is no answer to that right now.
“We’re looking at varying degrees of ideas and what that looks like in the short term, we don’t know. We don’t even know in the longer term what that looks like.”
For now, Rahm will just be focusing on LIV, while golf fans will be awaiting the US Masters in April when Rahm, Woods and McIlroy could be taking on one another.
None of the four Majors have blocked LIV golfers from competing.
Rahm, the 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters champion is in Saudi Arabia this week for the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah event that begins on March 1.
He finished in a tie for third at LIV’s season-opener in Mayakoba from Feb 2 to 4 and placed eighth at the Feb 8-10 Las Vegas event. REUTERS
