Rumour: PGA Tour star "very close" to follow Jon Rahm by joining LIV Golf
GolfMagic understands PGA Tour star Tony Finau is "highly likely" to join the LIV Golf League in 2024.
PGA Tour star Tony Finau is understood to be "very close" to joining the LIV Golf League ahead of the 2024 season, multiple sources have confirmed to GolfMagic.
Finau has been linked with a move to the breakaway Saudi-bankrolled golf league led by CEO Greg Norman ever since 2022.
But the Finau rumours are gaining real momentum by the hour at the moment, especially in light of his good friend Jon Rahm sending shockwaves through the sport by joining LIV Golf on December 7.
According to several sources who have reached out to GolfMagic over the past 48 hours, six-time PGA Tour champion Finau is "highly likely" to join LIV Golf before the start of their third season in February 2024.
One of our sources, Golf Lover UK, who has been bang on the money with a number of LIV Golf signings the past two seasons, considers there are "too many noises to ignore when it comes to Tony Finau".
Golf Lover UK has since tweeted:
One of our sources has told us "Finau is very close to joining LIV Golf", while another has informed us "Finau is very keen on the move because he loves team sport."
Finau is currently in action at the PGA Tour's Grant Thornton Invitational where he is playing with LPGA Tour star Nelly Korda.
The season-ending team event is backed by both the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour.
Korda and Finau, who are both Grant Thornton ambassadors, raced to the top of the board in Friday's Texas Scramble first round with a blistering 16-under par 56.
Finau then gave perhaps the biggest clue yet that he will be heading to LIV Golf with his choice of comment following the first round:
He was then further pressed by a pool of reporters about his name being linked with a move to LIV Golf.
Finau was asked if he had any response to his name floating around, to which he replied:
The Nike staff player was then approached by SI.com for comment about what he made of his good pal Rahm moving across to LIV Golf.
Finau replied:
Finau's agent, Chris Armstrong, then told SI.com that "everything is rumour and speculation" surrounding any move to LIV.
It should also be noted Finau is not one of the players down on the list to join Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's new TGL that is backed by the PGA Tour.
While that was supposed to start up in January 2024, the TGL has been pushed back to a January 2025 start now as a result of the stadium's roof collapsing last month.
Rahm withdrew his name from the TGL list last month, which we believe was one of a number of reasons that proved he was already on the way to LIV Golf.
One potential headache facing Finau right now is that at World No.21 and without any major titles to his name, he is not guaranteed a place in the majors over the coming years due to LIV Golf remaining shut out of receiving any OWGR points.
This will no doubt be something Finau is weighing up right now.
However, in light of the potential PGA Tour / Saudi PIF merger, which reaches its deadline in three weeks time, who knows what the professional golfing landscape could look like in 2024 and beyond.
Should Finau join LIV Golf before the start of the 2024 season, there is no assurance he would find a place on Rahm's team.
Finau and Rahm both play out of the same golf course at Silverleaf in Arizona, and they have regularly played practice rounds together on the PGA Tour and in the major championships down the years.
Pro Golf Critic, who has been firing out some fascinating insight on all things happening on LIV Golf, has tweeted:
Rahm was announced as LIV Golf's latest and biggest signing to date during a Fox News interview on December 7.
The World No.3 is understood to have to accepted a huge £450m fee in a multi-year LIV Golf deal.
"I have officially joined LIV"
Number 3 ranked golfer in the world Jon Rahm gives a thoughtful and poised 8+ minute interview on the Special Report with Bret Baier to announce his decision to join LIV.
Here is the full clip, enjoy. pic.twitter.com/DB79Jw3TSj
— LIV Golf Nation (@LIVGolfNation) December 7, 2023
Rahm's team has yet to be confirmed.
Will Rahm's decision to join LIV Golf now pave the way for even more PGA Tour stars to follow him through the front door?
Time will tell, but Big Tone could be next.
