“I was surprised but not at the same time” – Former European Tour player Nick Dougherty dubs Jon Rahm a ‘monumental loss’ for the PGA Tour

Masters champion Jon Rahm shocked the golf world last week by confirming his move to LIV Golf. The Spaniard made the massive announcement after the official PGA Tour season’s end. According to reports, he was offered a contract worth around $565 million.

Following the move, Former European Tour player Nick Dougherty has come out and stated that he “was surprised but not at the same time.”

Dougherty, who’s got three European Tour and 1 Asian Tour wins under his belt, said that Rahm’s move to LIV is as big as it gets. The 41-year-old stated that the Spaniard’s defection is a “monumental loss” to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.

Adding that Jon Rahm is “absolutely at the Forefront” of the game, the Englishman said that he’ll have more impact on the Saudi-backed league than any player on it.

Sharing his take on Rahm’s controversial move to LIV Golf, Nick Dougherty said, as quoted by Sky News:

"I was surprised (of the announcement) but not at the same time because there's been so much talk around it. You can't keep secret in this game of golf these days, but I wasn't sure that was ever going to happen. It's such a huge moment because he's the first, with all due respect to Brooks (Koepka), to win a major last year. Jon Rahm is absolutely at the Forefront of the game right now.

"You'd have to put him alongside Rory McIlroy, more impact than Scottie Scheffler. Even though Scheffler is ranked number one in the world, to lose a player of that sort to LIV is a monumental loss to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. So, it's huge news and the ripple effect could be massive."

Looking over Jon Rahm's move, Dougherty stated that there are still “a ton of unknown” details of what is happening in the golf world. He noted that the effects of the PIF and the PGA Tour’s framework agreement can’t be predicted. He reiterated that not seeing Rahm up against McIlroy and Scheffler each weekend is a loss to the game and its fans.

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Jon Rahm’s big-money move to LIV Golf

Rahm announced his move to LIV Golf on Thursday, December 7. With the announcement, the reigning Masters champion became the biggest name so far to defect to the PIF-backed series since 2022 Open winner Cameron Smith.

According to reports, the golfer signed a hefty contract worth over $565 million to join the Greg-Norman-led series.

Apart from the big paycheck, Rahm is also set to get a team of his own on LIV Golf. The circuit is set to restructure itself to accommodate a 13th team led by the Spaniard. Interestingly, the World No. 3 also admitted that ‘money was a factor’ in his defection and said that the move is ‘best for him and his family.’

Jon Rahm said on Thursday:

“Every decision I feel like we make in life, there will be somebody who agrees and likes it and somebody who doesn’t. I made this decision because I believe it’s the best for me and my family. Everybody I’ve been able to talk to has been really supportive of me, so I’m very comfortable with my decision… This certainly won’t define or change who I am.”

Needless to say, it’ll be interesting to see how Jon Rahm matches up against the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka in the 54-hole format.