Jon Rahm seemingly turned the entire golf world upside down in December when he joined LIV Golf in a lucrative nine-figure deal, with the huge news being by far and away the biggest story in golf.
The Masters champion defecting away from the PGA Tour to join the league that he had previously been critical of sent shockwaves through the game and may well have accelerated the PGA Tour’s dealings with the Strategic Sports Group that ultimately led to a $3bn investment.
Yet just five months later the Spaniard isn’t even being mentioned among the three favorites this week at Valhalla for the PGA Championship, where he arrives somewhat under the radar as fifth-favorite behind Scheffler, McIlroy, Koepka and Schauffele.
Rahm is winless in 2024 after his move to LIV Golf but stresses that his game isn’t in too bad shape despite a lacklustre title defense at Augusta last month. He was T45th at The Masters but his worst finish in seven LIV events is 14th with four top-fives.
He is 2nd in the individual standings in the LIV Golf League, with his Legion XIII side also 2nd after two tournament wins and four fifth-place finishes.
“I don’t think my game is in any sort of issues,” he said at Valhalla.
“I didn’t play good at Augusta, but so far I haven’t missed a top 10. I know it’s smaller fields, but I’ve been playing good golf. It’s just the one Major that I played clearly wasn’t great. Have I played my best golf? No. But I do feel the last few weeks, especially coming off Singapore, I felt, you know, made a couple tweaks that you wouldn’t be able to tell.
“It’s just very minor things. Like it could be ball position, small things that have made my game be consistently much better even when I’m home and in general just feel more like the norm, right, a little normal.
“So I never, never felt like I was far off, and when I say I’m not playing my best, just hadn’t had my A game for a week yet, but I still I’ve been close to my A game and B+ multiple times, so yeah, I’m comfortable how I played this year.”
Rahm sits 2nd in the LIV Golf League individual standings
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Spaniard was then asked about the Ryder Cup and the future of the PGA Tour and PIF dealings, and he was very clear that he is not on the “other side” now he’s left for LIV.
The two-time Major champion…
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