Over the past week or so, the golf world has been captivated by rumors of the reigning Masters champion, Jon Rahm, potentially heading to LIV Golf in 2024.

• Related: Caddie opens up on surprise firing following multiple-win season

The London Times has now reported that the figure for Rahm will be in the $600 million range, although it doesn’t specify whether team equity is included in the figure. The report states that the Spaniard is considering the offer.

What perhaps is most telling is the fact that neither Rahm nor his team has come out to deny any of the rumors, whereas in the past the Spaniard has been quick to squash the speculation.

With LIV Golf’s Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who governs the Saudi Public Investment Fund, set to meet with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on Friday, it seems likely that a Rahm announcement would come this week prior to the meeting.

Third in the Official World Golf Ranking, Rahm is undoubtedly one of the best golfers in the world, and a move to LIV would create a massive ripple effect on the entire golf landscape.

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On Saturday’s third round of the Hero World Challenge, Collin Morikawa was hit with a two-stroke penalty for violating Model Local Rule G-11.

During the round, Morikawa’s caddie, Jonathan Jakovac, used a device on the practice green to calculate slope, which is permitted. However, the information was then added to his handwritten notes in the yardage book, which is illegal.

While speaking with Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis, Morikawa revealed that it was his playing partner and European Ryder Cup star Matt Fitzpatrick who reported Morikawa for the rule violation.

Morikawa said that he didn’t blame Fitzpatrick, but he was upset at how Chief Referee Stephen Cox handled the situation.

“To be honest, I was a little mad at Stephen,” said Morikawa. “He told us to meet him in the locker room. I was waiting in there for about five minutes, and he didn’t show up. This was midway through my warm-up. “If you’re going to tell me some news, I think you should show up on time and give it to me.”

While speaking with PGATour.com, Cox explained the decision.

“This is a very complicated issue. We respect the traditional methods of people wanting to have notes in their yardage book. That is something that’s been going on for many years. And obviously, when we drafted this Model Local Rule we wanted to protect that. Some players and caddie take more notes than others.”

“We were very specific in that these handwritten notes needed to be obtained through traditional methods to protect the fundamental skill of reading greens within our sport.

“If he had gone there using traditional methods and estimated with his feet or other means the percentages of slope on that practice putting green, 1%, 1.5% or 2% to gauge the amount of break on a particular length of putt, that chart or formula that the caddie has devised would be fine.”

“It comes down to use of this handwritten note. Because he used it for assessing the putt during his third round then he was assessed a two-stroke penalty.

“Fortunately, that is the only time the player or caddie has accessed that information, and, on that basis, the breach remained at two strokes.”

Speaking to reporters following the round, Fitzpatrick stated:

“Yeah. Listen, I was on the green, I heard Collin ask the question. J.J. gave him an answer from his yardage book. I just — you know, I have wanted to use AimPoint earlier this year. I spoke to my putting coach, Phil Kenyon, about it.

“He told me that he was pretty certain I can’t write the numbers down or use the AimPoint numbers. So, you know, I didn’t do it. And then obviously yesterday it happened and I asked Coxy [the rules official] just to clarify what the situation was.

“I asked the question and he was like, well, now you’ve asked the question, I need you to tell me what’s going on. That was it. Listen, it’s nothing personal. Whether it was Tiger or whoever, it’s just I wanted to know because I would have used it earlier this year.”

Morikawa finished seventh (-12) for the event.

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With the USGA and R&A expected to announce a universal golf ball rollback this week, opinions have been shared over the weekend by some of the most influential voices in golf.

Tiger Woods said that he is in favor of the rollback and has been for many years.

Tiger shares his thoughts on the golf ball rollback and bifurcation. ? pic.twitter.com/btF6FTcjoO

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) December 2, 2023

“As I told you guys,” Tiger said, “I’ve always been for bifurcation. I’ve always said that. Just like wood bats and metal bats [in baseball].”

Woods added that he hadn’t talked to any other players regarding how they felt about the incoming change.

“Honestly, I haven’t talked to any other player yet,” Woods said. “I’m curious to see what the feedback is. I know the PGA Tour had their stance on it, but the ruling bodies are — they’re the ruling bodies.”

Rory McIlroy was even more emphatic in his support for the rollback. The subject even brought about a rare X post for McIlroy, who shared his thoughts in a post.

I don’t understand the anger about the golf ball roll back. It will make no difference whatsoever to the average golfer and puts golf back on a path of sustainability. It will also help bring back certain skills in the pro game that have been eradicated over the past 2 decades.…

— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) December 3, 2023

“I don’t understand the anger about the golf ball roll back. It will make no difference whatsoever to the average golfer and puts golf back on a path of sustainability. It will also help bring back certain skills in the pro game that have been eradicated over the past 2 decades.

“The people who are upset about this decision shouldn’t be mad at the governing bodies, they should be mad at elite pros and club/ball manufacturers because they didn’t want bifurcation. The governing bodies presented us with that option earlier this year. Elite pros and ball manufacturers think bifurcation would negatively affect their bottom lines, when in reality, the game is already bifurcated. You think we play the same stuff you do? They put pressure on the governing bodies to roll it back to a lesser degree for everyone. Bifurcation was the logical answer for everyone, but yet again in this game, money talks.”

McIlroy also added an interesting reply to an X user, saying he was previously chasing speed for “ego” rather than to play better golf.

More than anything else, ego.

— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) December 3, 2023

Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee also took to X to share his thoughts. However, his opinion was the complete opposite of Rory and Tiger and called the governing bodies “out of touch.”

I appreciate the governing bodies and what they mean to the game, but on the roll back issue they are not only out of touch with the game they govern, but the people that play it. It is a very small number of people that are in favor of a roll back. Golf course architects of…

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) December 3, 2023

“I appreciate the governing bodies and what they mean to the game, but on the roll back issue they are not only out of touch with the game they govern, but the people that play it. It is a very small number of people that are in favor of a roll back. Golf course architects of which there are what, maybe a hundred or so? Golf course architect geeks of which there are maybe a few thousand? And a very few tour players and former tour players, compared to 50 million global golfers against it and 28,000 PGA of America members against it and most every single touring professional against it. The average LPGA tour player flies the ball 220 yards, the average male amateur carries the ball 215 yards, the average female amateur carries the ball 147 yards, (all numbers courtesy of a USGA report btw) but because a few tour players through years of practice, thousands of hours in the gym, and yes, advances in tech, can carry the ball 283.8 yards (tour average for 2023) they want to penalize 50 million golfers. Please. Appreciate the athleticism of the best, but don’t punish the only people in the game that will feel the sting of this decision.”

While there are opinions on both sides, the majority of amateur players seem to be strongly opposed to the rollback.

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