‘Open to Bribing’ – Jon Rahm Makes Outrageous Statement

Published 05/18/2021, 10:57 AM EDT

The world’s best golfers are currently at Kiawah Island getting ready for the 2021 PGA Championship. The tournament begins on May 20, and a few players were invited to a pre-event press conference on Tuesday. Among them was Jon Rahm, who made a rather startling statement towards the end of his media availability!

As Jon Rahm sat down in front of the media, he was posed with various questions about his game and the upcoming PGA Championship. Rahm is currently one of the most talented golfers without a major title to his name.

Another such golfer is Sungjae Im, a 23-year-old South Korean who finished T2 at the 2020 Masters. While Sungjae is chasing his first major, he also has another complication that will arise in a few months.

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All South Korean men over the age of 18 have to perform 20 months of mandatory military service. While athletes like Sungjae Im are eligible for an exemption, there is a criterion that he should fulfill in order to be free of it.

Jon Rahm issues indirect proposal to Sungjae Im

A lot of South Korean athletes face this situation in their careers. However, a lot of people belonging to the golf community are highly unaware of the pressure the South Korean athletes face, and Jon Rahm is one of them.

“Wait, seriously? I’m sorry, I’m laughing, but is that serious?” Rahm said when he was enlightened about South Korea’s mandatory military service.

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The only way Sungjae Im can get exempted from serving in the military is if he wins a medal in the upcoming Olympic games. The Olympics is scheduled to begin on July 23 in Tokyo and will see a list of talented golfers competing for national glory. Sungjae should clinch a medal for South Korea for him to be exempted from performing mandatory military service.

“Well, I would say if we’re fighting for fourth and third place, I’m open for bribing if he needs me to make a three-putt on the last hole. We can always talk about it. I like Korean food. We can always talk about it,” Rahm jokingly expressed.

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Jon Rahm did make this statement in a very light-mannered tone. We don’t know if he really means it and if he’s open to receiving bribes on the golf course. A lot of tour pros won’t be happy if he’s serious about it though!

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.