“I wasn't surprised about the money at all” – Former English Cricket star Kevin Pietersen on Jon Rahm's decision to join LIV Golf

Former English cricketer Kevin Pietersen commented on Jon Rahm's decision to join LIV Golf. The Spanish golfer became the talk of the town after making a shocking move to join Saudi Arabia's LIV Golf.

In a recent appearance on the Flushing It Golf podcast, Pietersen discussed the Rahm's historic move in detail with Sports Illustrated golf writer Bob Harig and the podcast host.

The former cricket player said that Rahm's choice took him by surprise. However, the money he got from the Saudi circuit was anticipated. He went on to add that it would be hard for any player to reject such a lucrative offer. Pietersen said:

"When I saw Jon Rahm join LIV, I was surprised but I wasn't surprised about the money at all. If somebody is willing to pay then someone will take it. It's a huge amount of money, for me, for everybody out there. But this is a contract as big as Jon Rahm and the American sport. So if the cash is there, then the player will take it."

Pietersen also opened up about the dynamic change in golf over the last few years. He believed that the change was not necessarily bad and also emphasized the unification of the game. He added:

"It's incredible. I think that the dynamic of golf has shifted in a very very big way. I don't think that it's a bad thing in the way golf is now. We need unification," the cricketer added.

The Telegraph claims that Jon Rahm has agreed to a $566.4 million contract with LIV Golf. Rahm hasn't verified the sum, though. The current World No. 3 golfer stated that he was having fun watching people go crazy trying to predict the amount in a recent interview with the Pat McAfee Show. Rahm said:

"The best thing about not saying anything is watching people go wild about what it may or may not be."

Rahm received $302 million of his entire compensation at contract signing, with the remaining amount to be paid in bonuses, according to the Telegraph.

Several outlets claimed Rahm and LIV had a contract worth over $500 million. Rahm will surpass Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-paid athlete in the world if his reported contract amount holds validity.

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"I don't really have a take on it"— Kevin Pietersen on LIV Golf

After retiring from cricket, Kevin Pietersen enjoys playing golf. He spent most of his time on the golf course. He played at the 150th Open Championship in St. Andrews last year ahead of the official commencement of the tournament and spoke to media about LIV Golf.

Pietersen felt confident that the game would eventually come together and that the conflict between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf would be settled in due course. He stated in 2022 (via SportsMax):

"I don't really have a take on it because it doesn't matter what I think. But having been part of the Indian Premier League and franchise cricket around the world, I think eventually – and I hope – that everything just merges and everybody lives as one happy family in the future.

He added:

"Sport is such a unifying thing. It unifies people, it unifies countries, unifies teams, and the ability to make it into something great is important. So, I just hope that for the greater good of the sport, things happen in the next few years. Clearly, there was going to be an outcry at the start by certain people in certain countries. But let's hope that in two, three years' time, golf is celebrated for the great game that it is," he added.

Jon Rahm will play in the next season of LIV Golf. The 2024 season of the Saudi Arabian circuit will start in February at Mayakoba. The tournament will take place at El Camaleon Gold Course from February 2 to February 4 in Mexico.