Fred Couples rips into LIV Golf League after Jon Rahm move

PGA Tour legend Fred Couples comes down hard on LIV Golf following Jon Rahm's move.

12 Dec 2023

Fred Couples rips into LIV Golf League after Jon Rahm move

PGA Tour legend Fred Couples has ripped into the LIV Golf League by declaring it is "not changing a thing" in the sport and is simply "all about money".

Couples, who won 15 times on the PGA Tour highlighted with his sole major at the 1992 Masters, gave his latest thoughts to SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio following Jon Rahm's shock move to join the Saudi-bankrolled league in a deal worth a reported £450m last week.

The 64-year-old American said if LIV Golf was really that good then players would be willing to compete in the breakaway league for free - rather than accepting hundreds of millions.

While Couples has no issue with PGA Tour stars signing to LIV Golf for the money, he would like them all to stop telling him how great the LIV Golf product is.

Couples told SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio:

"I want to hear the next superstar say 'I'm going to that LIV because you know why I'm going, it is unreal... they play Riviera, TPC Phoenix in front of 300,000 people and they do this and they do that', but I want them to go for free. Then go on CNN and every TV show and say why they are going because it's that good. $100m doesn't get it. $200m doesn't get it. $300m doesn't get it. But for $400m, it's a great product and it's a great show... my ass. Tell me the next guy, if it's Tony Finau, 'I'm going for free boys, I love this Tour, I don't like the PGA Tour'. No one is going to do that. So what does that tell me? It tells me it's all about money, which is fine. But don't sit there and then go on and say they are changing the game. What are they changing? For 50 years, golf has been changed. Arnold Palmer changed it, Jack Nicklaus changed it, Tiger Woods changed it. The LIV Tour ain't changing a thing."

Jon Rahm has said the size of his offer from LIV weighed into his decision to join the tour.
Fred Couples has no problem with that, but he'd like for everyone to stop telling him how great LIV's product is.@fredcouplesgolf | @coachgeorge805 pic.twitter.com/E0CzcR3EgI
— SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) December 12, 2023