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Jon Rahm officially joined LIV Golf Thursday, joining Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka in spurning the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed series. The reigning Masters champion made the announcement on Fox News Channel’s "Special Report" wearing a black and white letterman jacket with "LIV Golf" emblazoned across his right shoulder. The No. 3 golfer in the world stunned golf fans who likely believed he was going to stay on the PGA Tour. He touted the organization’s history and his own legacy just last year while chiding LIV for...

Jon Rahm knows the consequences his decision might have. Participating in the Ryder Cup might not be an option for the two-time major champion, who confirmed his defection from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf on Thursday. But that, he said, was worth the risk. He’s changed his stance on the upstart league and its controversial Saudi-backed funding, but hopefully, Rahm added, he’ll continue to play his desired Tour events — where he has compiled 11 wins — into the future. There could be backlash, but Rahm said he will...

Jon Rahm sat in a room somewhere in New York, preparing to talk to more than a dozen reporters on a Zoom call at around 4:45 p.m. ET Thursday. There was a LIV Golf League backdrop behind him, as the Saudi Arabian-financed circuit was preparing to announce it had poached the No. 3-ranked golfer in the world from the rival PGA Tour. It was a scene that would have seemed unfathomable in April, when Rahm seemed fully committed to the PGA Tour after claiming his second major championship at the...