Speak now or forever hold your peace, Jon Rahm.
The 29-year-old Spaniard was in his home country at an event Wednesday in Bilbao, and he was surprised to find TV cameras there, according to a Reuters report.
Rahm was there to receive the 2023 Dama Bilbaina prize, which the private club founded in 1839 awarded in his native Basque Country, in recognition of his sporting career.
However, that didn’t prevent him from speaking to those select few in attendance, and he mentioned he was going to lay low and not be seen much in the public eye until LIV Golf’s first event in February.
“I am under very strict instructions not to do public events, which I have imposed on myself a little bit for myself, and for the change I have given to the world of golf in the last week,” Rahm said. “There will be nothing until February, I’m not allowed to.”
Rahm reported signing bonus makes him the world’s richest athlete in 2023, yet he still seems himself as just a normal person.
“I don’t consider that what I do is much different, and that I am more or less important than the rest,” Rahm said. “The only thing is that I’m seen on TV right now and that’s it … hopefully a little less so in the future.”
The World No. 3 is LIV Golf’s biggest signing since nabbing Cam Smith last year on the heels of him capturing the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews.
LIV Golf begins its third season Feb. 2-4 at Mayakoba in Mexico.