In 2013 I was on the Lance Armstrong band wagon, having listened carefully to what the undoubted King of Cycling had to say about being clean in a sport that has been decimated by cheating over the years.
" How could anyone who has been tested more than any other, and been repeatedly found without a blemish to mar his titanic training regime be cheating ?" I implored for years, despite all the trashy rumors' and innuendo.
Then my soul sagged with the fess up Oprah interview, and all that recrimination that was to follow and boy did I hear about it from my peers in the media.
To err is human, but not to learn from it is naïve, even stupid.
Enter Jon Rahm
Once again, I was warmed by what he told us in countless interviews. No longer an immature kid talking nonsense, I trusted all that he said about his legacy in this game, his desire to compete fiercely but as a gentleman in the hallowed halls that are adorned with the legends, his disgust with the LIV series and all it stood for....
Two days ago I opined on twitter that all this noise about Rahm was more social media unfiltered nonsense....
He doesn't need to win the Lotto when he is already a gazillionaire before he's 30. I said to whomever would listen. Wrong, his peers like Norman, Sergio have had his ear, told him their story.. His hero Seve in a previous era demanded to be paid as those around him were growing fat at his expense...
Rahm has been offered approx. $500,000,000 which compares to the PGA Tour's total prize fund of $460,000,000 and that has changed his tune after he said he “laughed” whenever he saw his name linked to LIV.
Now here's the turn about....
“It was a great offer. The money is great, obviously it's wonderful," Rahm said. “But what I said before is true: I do not play golf for the money. I play golf for the love of the game and for the love of golf. But, as a husband, as a father and as a family man I have a duty to my family to give them the best opportunities and the most amount of resources possible and that is where that comes in.”
He remains eligible for the majors for the next five years — the Masters for life, the U.S. Open until 2031. Still to be determined is how the move affects his eligibility for the Ryder Cup.
Life goes on, but for today I am sickened to have been duped yet again and I'm not alone.
When will I ever learn not to be so trusting, greed is a powerful force in the human DNA, the more you have the more you want is the case for many, now including Jon Rahm.
PS ...When I came home later than my father stipulated, I gave him flimsy excuses, "my watch stopped, I had a flat tire."
He said to me "son I'm not so mad at you for being late as I am that you are lying to me"
So please Jon, save what vestiges you have of your reputation and stop with the 'grow the game' 'reach a new audience '' 'play a team game' 'love the innovative format' and just say:
"I'm sorry boys and girls, I said I don't need more money for me and my family but I can't help myself, I wanted more"
Bryan Angus
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