On Wednesday, Jon Rahm accepted an award at La Sociedad Bilbaina, in northern Spain.
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Six days after Jon Rahm introduced at a New York Metropolis press convention that he was signing with LIV Golf, the Spanish famous person was again in his homeland earlier this week to just accept an award from a prestigious sports activities and social membership on Spain’s northern coast.
At the least a few issues have been clear from Rahm’s go to to La Sociedad Bilbaina, within the Basque metropolis of Bilbao, a few 20-minute drive south of Rahm’s hometown: He was humbled to obtain the membership’s Dama Bilbaina prize for excellent sporting achievement but additionally greatly surprised by the variety of media in attendance; as Rahm spoke in his native tongue to the assembled crowd, two microphones perched on a podium in entrance of him, he mentioned that he had been anticipating a extra “intimate” affair.
However that’s not all Rahm mentioned, in keeping with a Reuters report — and that is the place issues get murky. On Wednesday, the information company ran an unbylined story that mentioned Rahm additionally made remarks on the ceremony about his plans to put low for the subsequent couple of months.
“I’m beneath very strict directions to not do public occasions, which I’ve imposed on myself a little bit bit for myself, and for the change I’ve given to the world of golf within the final week,” Rahm mentioned, in keeping with a Reuters.
Rahm reportedly added of media interviews, “There will probably be nothing till February. I’m not allowed to.”
The reported feedback raised eyebrows, as a result of it wasn’t completely clear who wasn’t allowing Rahm to make appearances or speak to the press. Solely himself? Members of his staff? His new employer, LIV Golf? If the choice to hibernate was Rahm’s alone, why would he say he’s “beneath strict directions” and that he’s “not allowed to”? One potential rationalization is that Rahm’s feedback had been translated from Spanish to English so all-important context might have been misplaced.
However that’s not the one grey space. In 2022, the Wall Street Journal reviewed a draft of a contract that was supplied to potential LIV gamers, which included provisions similar to gamers needing to obtain approval to put on manufacturers’ logos at LIV tournaments and that additionally they can be required to help in LIV recruiting efforts. In keeping with the Journal’s report, the contract additionally acknowledged that gamers ought to chorus from giving interviews with out LIV approval.
Which brings us again to Rahm’s curious remarks. Had LIV muzzled him?
On Thursday, a LIV spokesperson informed GOLF.com that Rahm’s feedback had been “misinterpreted by way of the interpretation.” The spokesperson added that Rahm “is just taking the remainder of the month of December off from media (self-imposed, as he did state) to spend time together with his household over the vacations in Spain. Nothing extra.”
When requested whether or not LIV polices its gamers media entry, the spokesperson — who additionally manages media requests for LIV — mentioned that the league doesn’t, and even when such a stipulation does exist in any participant’s contract, it has by no means been enforced.
“No participant sends me an electronic mail asking for approval to do press,” the spokesperson mentioned. “They do what they need.”
If Rahm does wait till February to reappear within the public eye, he’ll doubtless accomplish that in Mexico. The primary LIV occasion of 2024 is on the El Camaleon course at Mayakoba, from Feb. 2-4.
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