John Rahm’s mega-money move to Saudi-backed LIV ‘imminent’ and will be ‘announced this week’

There has been mounting speculation that the Spaniard is leaving the PGA Tour for Saudi-backed LIV golf in a move that could earn him as much as a staggering $600million.

Off The Ball are reporting this morning that, as per their sources, Rahm’s move to LIV is ‘imminent’ and will happen before the end of the week.

"Off the Ball sources have confirmed to us that Jon Rahm is joining LIV Golf Tour and this is an imminent deal that will be announced, we think by as early as tomorrow but certainly by Friday,” said OTB’s Ger Gilroy.

Tiger Woods said last week he would "hypothetically" be surprised if rumours that several big-name players are on the verge of signing with LIV Golf prove to be true.

Jon Rahm, the reigning Masters champion and world's No. 3-ranked player, is reportedly weighing an offer of around $600 million. United States Ryder Cup stalwarts Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are two more names that have been tied to LIV rumours.

Without being asked about specific players, Woods was asked if the rumours surprise him.

"Hypothetically would it surprise me? Yes, but there's so many different things that have happened in the last, as you said, 48 hours but also in the last few weeks," Woods said after his second round at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. "Things have changed and will continue to change."

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said last week that a Dec. 31 deadline to finalize an agreement along with the Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour remains "a firm target."

"Our deadline's coming up here soon, so there's a lot of moving parts," Woods said. "A lot of different things are happening very quickly because we know, you know, I think today's the first day in December. We don't have a whole lot of time."

Woods, who had no knowledge of the framework agreement at the time of the announcement in June, has since joined the PGA Tour's Policy Board as a player director. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy left the board and was recently replaced by Jordan Spieth.

Rahm also recently pulled out of the Woods- and McIlroy-backed TGL, citing the time commitment, although the league has since delayed its debut until 2025 after the roof of its facility collapsed and caused damage. Cantlay and Schauffele are among the marquee players who had committed to the league.

While acknowledging the rumours swirling, Woods sidestepped a second question about whether he'd be surprised by more marquee defections to LIV.

"Nothing has really surprised me other than the fact that there's so many different things that have happened so fast," he said. "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."