Jon Rahm: What's behind the contract of the golfer who now earns more than Messi or CR7

Jon Rahm has caused an earthquake within the world of golf. The reason? He has signed with the Saudi-bakced LIV Golf, breaking his ties with the American PGA Tour and the European DP World Tour – becoming the second highest-paid athlete in the world in the process.

For a few days, the 'Lion of Barrika', number 3 in the world golf ranking, was the highest-paid athlete in the world. That was until the MLB announced the $700 million super contract Shohei Ohtani had signed with LA Dodgers.

Despite this, Rahm's with the still developing Saudi comp is not off Ohtani's in terms of numbers and still makes him the highest-paid Spanish athlete in history.

Although the exact details of Jon Rahm's contract have not been given and, some have said that it could be around $660m (£520m) some sources referred to by the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, place it at something more than $570m (£450m) to remain with the competion until 2029.

Rahm will continue to make money outside of this too, as he will receive direct income relating to the value of the team that he will have on the circuit (one of the most notable novelties of LIV Golf).

In addition to that fixed amount of money that he will receive, Rahm, like the rest of the golfers on the circuit, will be able to pocket $4m for winning any one of the 13 tournaments, not including the team final, for the season.

Until 2029, the Biscayan golfer will earn around $115m per year; $9.6m per month; $320,000 a day; $13,333 per hour; $222.2 per minute or, $3.70 euros per second.

Another fact that speaks of the magnitude of the contract is that the amount he will earn within the circuit is practically the same as the total amount the PGA paid out to its golfers across all competitions in 2023.

Now surpassed by Shohei Ohtani, according to Forbes data, Jon Rahm is the second highest-paid athlete in the world, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo on the list ($500m for seven years); Lionel Messi ($120 million for three seasons), Kylian Mbappé ($72 million for one campaign) or LeBron James ($97.1 million for two seasons).

As reported by Ten Golf, the contract also includes the clause that Rahm will have his own team (number 13) which he will lead on the circuit along with other great golfers. This is one of the great incentives of LIV Golf and which does not currently exist in either the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour.

Rahm will go on to play on a circuit with an innovative format that presents includes competition at both individual and team levels, and with prizes amounting to $405 million in the 2023 season.

In addition, the events that can be seen at LIV Golf have a field of 48 players and take place over 54 holes, equivalent to three rounds.

If money were not enough incentive, the breakout competition also has almost half of the winners of the four majors in the last four seasons on their books, in addition to many other stars. The likes Sergio García and Brooks Koepka (in the image), Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymero or Ian Poulter have all put their signature on LIV contracts.

"I am proud to join LIV Golf and be part of something new that is bringing growth to the sport. I have no doubt that this is a great opportunity for me and my family and I am very excited for the future," Rahm wrote on his social networks after his signing for LIV Golf.

A historic super contract for Spanish sport that, on the other hand, also has its consequences. The first of them, as reported by Golf Digest, that Rahm has already been suspended by the PGA Tour and is no longer eligible to participate in its tournaments.

Rahm will not be able to participate in tournaments in which he has managed to win titles, such as the American Express, the Genesis Invitational, the Zurich Classic, the Memorial Tournament, the Farmers Insurance or the BMW Championship.

A suspension that will also mean that Rahm's results in the 2022-2023 season, in which the Spanish golfer won four titles, will not count in the list of points for eligibility in the 2024 tournaments, as reported by the PGA Tour.

His suspension from the PGA Tour affects, in this case positively, players like Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, who goes from 51st to 50th in the world ranking, which will allow him to participate in the most relevant tournaments on the American circuit in 2024.

Another issue to take into account is what will happen with his presence on the European Ryder Cup team or in tournaments such as the Spanish Open (belonging to the DP World Tour), issues that, until now, are unknown, although Rahm's goal is to continue participating in them (even if he has to pay a fine for it).

In the absence of LIV Golf, PGA Tour and DP World Tour smoothing over differences and building bridges between them, the Saudi circuit continues to grow and has done so by hitting the table with the signing of Jon Rahm, who has not exactly lost out with this amazing move. Will it pay off for LIV in the long run?