Jon Rahm was not among the notable names listed as committed to the American Express field next month as rumors persist that the world No. 3 could be leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf.
Rahm regularly plays the American Express in La Quinta, California, as part of his West Coast swing. He’s won the event twice — including this year — and tied for 14th in 2022.
However, he was not among the marquee names released by tournament organizers Tuesday, a list that included Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau and Tom Kim.
Often, the defending champion enters the ensuing year’s event, although it’s worth noting that the 2024 PGA Tour schedule features eight designated events, causing players who qualify for them to carefully evaluate their schedules in conjunction with the four majors and the Players Championship.
The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines — the site of Rahm’s first major triumph at the 2021 U.S. Open — is the week after the American Express. That is followed by the first designated event at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. And that tournament is immediately followed by the WM Phoenix Open, just a short drive from Rahm’s home in Scottsdale, and the Genesis Invitational, where he is also the defending champion.
Rahm has not commented on his future in the wake of reports that he’s weighing an offer upward of $300 million to sign with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
Rahm initially committed to the TGL venture backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, only to withdraw from the virtual league’s inaugural season, citing schedule constraints. The TGL has since postponed its first season to 2025 due to damage caused to its facility by a collapsed roof.
Rahm also was not in the Bahamas last week, where 20 marquee players teed it up in the Hero World Challenge hosted by Woods.
Both Woods and Jordan Spieth were asked about the Rahm-LIV rumors while in the Bahamas.
“I know there’s been some guys that have talked to him,” Spieth said Friday. “I know he’s maybe weighing some decisions, maybe not. I really don’t know, so I don’t want to insult him and say he’s weighing decisions if he already knows he’s not or he is. You know, that’s somewhat out of my control in a way.
“Obviously, I could speak probably on behalf of 200-plus PGA Tour players in saying that we really hope that he’s continuing with us.”
Woods, when asked about the rumors of more players signing with LIV, added Friday: “Nothing has really surprised me other than the fact that there’s so many different things that have happened so fast. That’s one of the things that all of our — all of us as player-directors we’ve been working on, just that everything is now at a time crunch.
“It’s 24 hours a day just trying to figure it out.”
The PGA Tour is working toward a Dec. 31 deadline for a framework deal put in place with the Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour in June. Commissioner Jay Monahan said last week that the deadline to finalize that agreement remains “a firm target.”
Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.