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Several LIV Golf players were reportedly stranded in Dubai during attacks from Iran, but they are safe thanks to one of their own.
Seven players and a caddy were stuck in the United Arab Emirates when Iran launched retaliatory attacks on Israel and several of its neighbors.
The Saudi-backed league plays in Hong Kong this weekend, so those with homes in Dubai were there before heading to China. But when the attacks began, airports were closed and flights were cancelled.
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Jon Rahm hits from the eighth tee during the second round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament on Friday, August 11, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
LIV reportedly explored options to get its players safely to Hong Kong, but Jon Rahm took matters into his own hands, according to Golf.com.
The two-time major winner and his team arranged a charter flight through his partnership with VistaJet, a private airline, to fly the members from Oman to Hong Kong. LIV had planned to get its players to London first.
“Do whatever you have to do, but get them out of there,” Rahm reportedly told his team.
Jon Rahm watches his tee shot on the second hole during the first round of the BMW Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, at Olympia Fields, Illinois. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Two of the members were part of Rahm’s Legion XIII team.
It was no easy commute as a typical four-plus hour drive was much longer due to traffic with others also trying to get to Oman. But after departing around midnight local time on Wednesday morning, they landed in Hong Kong nearly eight hours later.
Caleb Surratt, one of the golfers stuck in Dubai, told the Golf Channel it was “appalling”.
“There’s a lot of relief just knowing they’ll see their teammates today and they’ll be able to compete alongside them starting tomorrow,” a source told Golf.com.
Rahm joined LIV at the end of 2023 in what has been rumored to be a deal worth more than $300 million. There has been some speculation that the deal was worth double that.
Jon Rahm of Spain poses with the Masters trophy during the Green Jacket ceremony after winning the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
He won the Masters months before joining LIV after winning the 2021 US Open at Torrey Pines.
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