“He is going to be a top 2 or 3 player for the next 10 years” - Padraig Harrington applauds Jon Rahm’s LIV deal

Padraig Harrington gave the golf world yet another surprise recently by addressing the topic of Jon Rahm's move to LIV Golf. The Irishman believes that Rahm will be "a top two or three player for the next 10 years."

Harrington gave an interview to The Mirror, in which he said that Jon Rahm's signature is "worth" whatever the amount LIV Golf paid for him.

He said:

"[Jon Rahm] is the biggest player [LIV Golf] have got, the biggest shift. They didn’t overpay for Jon Rahm because it was seismic the shift in people's opinion with him going. You could argue other players, but Rahm said he wasn’t going and he is a stalwart."

"He might not be world No. 1, but he looks like he is going to be a top two or three player for the next 10 years. Whatever they paid for him it was well worth it."

Padraig Harrington also reflected on the financial consequences of the sum paid to acquire Jon Rahm, reasoning that it "sets a very high anchor price."

"The interesting thing for me is that it sets a very high anchor price for future players, and current players who are going to renegotiate," he said. "They are going to renegotiate every three years for the players that are there, they haven't bought them for life."

"As long as the PGA Tour gives some way back to the LIV players it makes them very expensive for LIV" - Padraig Harrington

The PGA Tour has adopted an aggressive strategy towards LIV Golf, which includes banning players. It even implemented a rule banning LIV players from performing in tournaments sanctioned by the American-based circuit.

Padraig Harrington, however, believes that the PGA Tour's strategy should be completely the opposite.

"As long as the PGA Tour gives some way back to the LIV players it makes them very expensive for LIV," he said. "If guys come to renegotiate and they only have LIV, they don’t have a great negotiating plate. Whereas if the PGA Tour says, 'yes you can come back and we are not going to overly penalise you', if they have this way back to the Tour it means their price to LIV is very expensive."

In the Irishman's opinion, negotiations between the two golf circuits should be conducted with the help of an independent and impartial third party.

"Somebody independent needs to set down the rules. It is going to be hard for the two sides to negotiate themselves because they are both bias. There must be somebody in sport who has nothing to do with golf who will go, 'right this is what you are going to do'."

The views of Padraig Harrington add fuel to a very turbulent start to the year in the world of golf. From New Year's Day to date, there have been statements from Rory McIlroy changing his stance towards LIV Golf as well as the resignations of Martin Slumbers as CEO of The R&A and Keith Pelley as CEO of the DP World Tour.