Money talks (and wins) again

 Would our lifestyle change if I got $400 million? No. It would not change one bit. Truth be told, I could retire right now with what I made (on the PGA Tour), and I'd live a very happy life and not play golf again.

- Jon Rahm, once upon a time

God. I hate getting played for a sucker.

I hate it when a guy says something wise and centered and  self-aware, and you say "Yeah! That's right, by golly!", and you decide here, finally, is a professional athlete who gets it. A professional athlete who has values that are screwed on straight and cares about the game and isn't in it just for the mon-

And then it turns out he was in it for the money after all. And there you are, just another rube on the carnival midway.

Because I believed the Jon Rahm who said all of the above a year-and-a-half ago, until this week he decided $400 million might make a difference in his lifestyle after all, and it wouldn't even take $400 million. The price tag is reported to be $300 million over three years, and that and a stake in his very own golf team convinced to him to defect to the LIV exhibition tour -- something he's been saying for at least two years he would never do.

Welp. Never say never, I guess.

And money talks and everyone has a price and all that other junk we know is true but ,manage to convince ourselves it isn't. I learned a long time ago never to feel let down when athletes let us down, because sooner or later they almost all let us down. But this ...

I gotta confess. I never thought Rahm would take the Saudis' blood money. I never thought he would be one of Those Guys.

After all, he was on the record as saying he loved the PGA because he loved tournament golf, and LIV golf wasn't tournament golf. Fifty-four holes? No cut? A generous check just for showing up, knocking the ball around with a willow branch and finishing last?

Nah. Not for him.

But then ...

And here's where I'll swallow my dismay and sort of defend Rahm, because despite it all  I still like the guy.

Here's where I'll say Rahm was consistent about not selling out until the PGA, to whom he'd been loyal, sold out him and everyone else who stuck with the Tour. Cut a deal with the very people the PGA had been rightly vilifying. Entered into a kinda-sorta merger with the journalist butchers/9-11 planners. Made a dash for the cash, you might say.

Everyone has a price. Remember?

Now, I don't know if the PGA's betrayal had anything to do with Rahm's reversal of perspective, but I wouldn't at all be surprised if it did. Others who stood by the PGA weren't shy about voicing their disgust when the PGA-LIV treaty was announced, after all. So I can see Rahm thinking, "Well, hell, if the PGA's suddenly OK with these asshats, I might as well take their money, too. Because what does it matter anymore?"

I can understand that. I mean, I guess I can.

But, dammit, Jon. Dammit.