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Jon Rahm faces awkward encounter just weeks after refusing to pay LIV Golf fines

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Jon Rahm LIV Golf

Jon Rahm recently met with DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

This meeting took place just a few weeks after Rahm declared he wouldn’t be paying any fines to the Wentworth-based circuit for participating in LIV Golf events. Rahm is back on the DP World Tour this week, aiming to play four events to maintain his Tour membership and secure his eligibility for next year’s Ryder Cup.

His last-minute scramble to meet the quota comes after spending most of 2024 playing on the LIV circuit. After joining the breakaway league late last year on a record-breaking deal, Rahm has been crowned LIV’s individual champion for 2024, pocketing just under $35 million in prize money during that period.

Pretty special'... Jon Rahm amazed by one 'incredible' thing at LIV Golf Adelaide

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However, his move hasn’t been without consequences. Rahm has faced financial penalties and suspensions from the DP World Tour for each LIV event he participates in. To return to the European circuit this autumn, Rahm had to appeal the decision, which has allowed him to compete in the Spanish Open, Dunhill Links, and the Andalucia Masters later this month, reports the Mirror US.

While the appeal currently allows the former world No. 1 to compete freely, there will come a time when he’ll have to choose between the Wentworth-based circuit and the LIV competitor. The outcome remains uncertain, but Rahm has already stated he won’t pay a penny of what he owes.

“I’m not a big fan of the fines. I think I’ve been outspoken about that,” the Spanish star said of his DP World Tour punishments at LIV Chicago last month. “I don’t intend to pay the fines, and we keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen.”

This could potentially cause a significant rift between the European Tour and one of their most valuable players, Rahm. Despite the off-course politics, Rahm and the circuit’s CEO, Kinnings, appeared to be on good terms as they walked the course together ahead of this week’s event in Scotland.

Away from the controversy, Rahm’s attention shifted to the tournament at hand on Thursday, where he made a strong start, scoring an impressive seven-under-par 65 in the opening round at Carnoustie. The Spaniard is renowned for his aggressive play from tee to green, but it was his performance with the putter that stood out on the first day.

“My putting was really good today. I hit it well. Felt comfortable out there,’ he stated on Thursday. “But the amount of putts I made from 15 to 20 feet, it’s more than the average for sure today rather than — that’s what it takes on a golf course like Carnoustie to post a score. Hopefully, I can keep playing like this for the next few days.”

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Jon Rahm finally cracks as LIV Golf rebel ‘willing to give Saudi cash back’ in U-turn

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Jon Rahm LIV Golf

Jon Rahm has not enjoyed the same level of success since joining LIV Golf last year and is allegedly open to returning to the PGA Tour – even if it means giving up his millions

Jon Rahm is ready to do whatever it takes to make a comeback to the PGA Tour, it’s been claimed.

Rahm could even hand back some of his LIV Golf cash to play alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler again. A “veteran tour insider” claims that Rahm is having second thoughts about his switch to the Saudi-backed league.

Jon Rahm takes a swing at world ranking rules after LIV Golf abandons 'fight' for points | CNN

READ: Scottie Scheffler lashes out after embarrassing shot during first PGA Tour event since Olympics victory

“I am 100 percent positive that if Jon could give the money back to the Saudis and come back to the tour, he couldn’t write the check fast enough,” the anonymous source told Golf Digest.

Not too long ago, Rahm was dazzling as one of the bright new stars on the PGA Tour. He racked up more than $70million (£54m) in career earnings across the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, and he enjoyed a prestigious stint as World No.1 for over 50 weeks. His 11 PGA victories include triumphs at the Masters and US Open.

However, since his 2023 leap to LIV Golf, Rahm’s performances and fan engagement have not mirrored his previous heights. “Now there are only four times a year when he’s playing that anybody is remotely interested,” the insider added. “He thought his stature in the game was secure no matter where he was playing, and it was a bad miscalculation.”

Barring last month’s Open – where Rahm tied for seventh at 3-under – the 29-year-old has had a tough time in this year’s majors. He just made the cut at the Masters, ending up T45, didn’t make it through the PGA Championship and had to pull out of the US Open due to a foot infection.

Before the Open, former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley suggested that Rahm’s lacklustre performances might be down to his rumoured dissatisfaction with LIV Golf, which was rumoured to sign him for upwards of $500m ($386.3m).

“He’s not on the cutting edge the way he was,” McGinley said. “His performances in majors are showing that. I don’t think he’s in a happy place; he doesn’t look content on the golf course.”

Rahm’s start to 2024 wasn’t stellar, failing to clinch a win in any of the first 10 LIV events, though he did tie for third in Adelaide and Nashville. Yet last month he triumphed in the LIV UK, bagging a tournament win for the eighth year running.

In recent months, Rahm hasn’t held back on suggesting improvements for LIV Golf. This April, he criticised the event format, pushing for a change from the 54-hole tournaments with a shotgun start to a full 72. “The closer we can get LIV to do some of these things, the better,” Rahm commented.

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PGA V LIV GOLF: Rory McIlroy disagrees with Jon Rahm on divisive PGA Tour topic as LIV star’s stance clear

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Rory McIlroy Jon Rahm

Three-time FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy has defended the PGA Tour format ahead of the St Jude Championship at TPC Southwind

Rory McIlroy has launched a defence over the PGA Tour format ahead of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

The FedEx Cup is a season-long competition to crown the best PGA golfer, with players accumulating points from events throughout the year. The top 70 golfers from January to August qualify for the first FedEx Cup playoff at the St. Jude Championship, which tees off on Thursday.

Jon Rahm calls out commentator over Rory McIlroy comments that 'absolutely burned me' | Golf | Sport | Express.co.uk

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The field is whittled down to 50 for the BMW Championship, with winners of each playoff event adding 2,000 points to their existing total; quadruple the number for a full-field PGA event. The season finale then sees the top 30 battle it out in the PGA Tour Championship, which features a staggered-stroke system and allows the FedEx Cup leader to start on 10-under-par, two shots ahead of second place.

It is designed to help ensure that there is no runaway winner before the Tour Championship, with the FedEx Cup champion pocketing a £19.4million ($25m) jackpot. Several top stars, including LIV Golf ace Jon Rahm, have branded the format unfair – but three-time winner McIlroy believes the FedEx Cup allows the season to end with a flourish.

“I love this format because if it wasn’t this format, then none of us would have a chance against Scottie [Scheffler] because he’s so far ahead,” McIlroy said ahead of the St. Jude Championship.

“He’s so far ahead, and you don’t expect Scottie to finish outside the top five, either. By the way – I think it makes the Tour Championship more exciting from a consumer standpoint.”

McIlroy did at least admit: “Is it the fairest reflection of who’s been the best player of the year? Probably not. But I think at this point we’re not in for totally fair, we’re in for entertainment and for trying to put on the best product we possibly can. The first year that it was the starting strokes at Tour Championship in 2019, I was able to win that one, and then in ’22 again.

“I like this format. It sort of feels like it’s a bit of a reset after the regular season,” McIlroy added. “Everyone is not quite on a level playing field, but it feels a little more like that.”

While acknowledging the entertainment value for fans, ex-world No. 1 Rahm previously laid into the play-off system, arguing that it overlooked his success on the PGA Tour. Rahm no longer has to deal with those issues, though, as his switch to LIV Golf in December makes him ineligible to compete in the FedEx Cup.

“I don’t like it, I don’t think it’s fair,” Rahm said in 2021. “I don’t like that at all. I think you have the play-offs itself and win the first two, and if you don’t play good on the last one, you can end up with a really bad finish.

“You could win 15 events, including both playoff events, and you have a two-shot lead,” he continued. “I understand it’s for TV purposes and excitement and just making it more of a winner-take-all, and they give you a two-shot advantage, but over four days that can be gone in two holes.”

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“Ready for LA 2028!”: Uncertain Future Crumbles Infront of LIV Golf Jon Rahm

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Jon Rahm Paris Olympic

Many would agree with Jon Rahm. However, only a few would truly understand the Spaniard’s words when he said, “It’s basically a dream come true.” 

He was alluding to the idea of winning a gold medal at the Olympics, something he missed by four strokes. But not to worry, since the athlete seems fairly confident about his 2028 chances in Los Angeles.

The 29-year-old shared a series of pictures on his Instagram handle commemorating his appearance at the quadrennial event. He did so while mentioning how grateful he was for the whole experience: “It was a tough Sunday for sure but I remain grateful for a great week in Paris. The experience of representing my native Spain in the Olympics was special and something I will never forget.” But the highlight of it all came in the last line: “Ready for LA 2028! 🇪🇸”

 

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He sounds confident, doesn’t he? Well, the current world No. 10 did convey the same, despite LIV Golf not getting acknowledged by the ranking system. If the trend of the OWGR snub continues, then there is a high chance for the Spanish athlete to fall down in rankings while getting pushed out of the top 15. Sounds a bit similar to Bryson DeChambeau’s situation, right?! The 2024 U.S. Open champ had also been just short of making it into the top four ranked Americans on OWGR, resulting in his snub.

But it’s not as if the confidence is completely unfounded for Jon Rahm. The Spanish golfer needs to just do his best and rake in good finishes at the major championships if the Saudi-backed league continues to be without OWGR backing. He just needs to pull off a 2024 DeChambeau, which saw the ‘Scientist’ jump from No. 210 before the Masters to No. 9 after the Open Championship.

That’s not all. With the PIF-PGA Tour merger in the works, one can even anticipate the LIV Golf Pros being able to play in Tour-sanctioned events if everything transpires smoothly. Interestingly, the Transaction Subcommittee, including the likes of Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, and Rory McIlroy, had met with PIF officials back in June. Although the result of the same remained a delay in the proceedings, the merger seems to be very well on the cards. But all of it is for naught if Rahm fails to card the medal, like in the recent event.

The 2023 Masters champ had been at the top rungs of the leaderboard since day 1. He had even been well set at T1, that is, until a dominant Scottie Scheffler shot past him. The American’s run, coupled with Rahm’s horrid back nine, saw the 29-year-old crumble down at the end of Sunday. He carded four bogeys and a double bogey, alongside two birdies in the back nine alone. It was a truly unfortunate fourth round for the Spaniard.

The athlete, in the end, finished T5 with a score of 15-under-269, tied with McIlroy. He did so while dishing out a total of 24 birdies, 9 bogeys, 2 eagles, and 2 double bogeys over the four days of play. Had he been able to score a par putt instead of a double bogey or two of the same instead of two bogeys, then Rahm would have had a chance to force a playoff with Hideki Matsuyama for a bronze medal.

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“Allow the countries to pick themselves”: Jon Rahm wants Olympic chiefs to make key change after LIV Golf stars snubbed

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Jon Rahm PARIS OLYMPICS

Jon Rahm has called for a shake-up in the Olympic qualifying criteria after several of his LIV Golf colleagues, including Bryson DeChambeau, were left out of this year’s tournament.

Rahm, 29, will fly the flag for Spain at Le Golf National in Paris as the tournament kicks off on Thursday. He’ll be joined by fellow LIV Golf star David Puig, but many of their peers on the breakaway tour will be forced to sit it out.

DeChambeau, the current US Open champion, is the most high-profile player missing from the action in Paris. The US has dispatched a team of four to the Olympics – Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa – all of whom ended the qualifying period in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).

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The OWGR forms the basis of the qualification route to the games, but LIV is not recognised by the body and its players do not earn ranking points for their performances on the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit. Its members have seen their rankings tumble since the breakaway league was launched in 2022, resulting in DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and others missing out on a spot in Paris.

Rahm argues that the decision-making power should be given to the competing nations to choose their players, rather than the OWGR. He also suggested that team golf should be included in future Olympics.

“Allow the countries to pick themselves,” Rahm stated during his pre-tournament press conference. “There needs to be some guidelines, but Team USA basketball has freedom to choose whoever they want. I understand it’s a different circumstance, but I think you need to let each country choose who they want to play, and in the future, I would also like to see some team aspect in the Olympics, as well, right.

“I mean, we are here representing Spain, so I would love to be able to represent Spain, as a partner or somehow, whether as a combined sport or us playing together. That would be extremely nice to share the stage with another player, to do something different, to maybe what we do every other day, right.”

Rahm is heading to Le Golf National brimming with confidence after clinching his first LIV Golf title at the weekend, outlasting Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton and Smith to finish top of the leaderboard at JCB Golf and Country Club in Staffordshire, England. Despite having high hopes of competing for the gold medal, he believes the quality of the event is diminished by the qualifying process.

“You want the best players to be able to participate,” Rahm added. “Any tournament, you want the best players possible to be representing their country. That’s all I can say. I really don’t know how else to frame it. “”Obviously the qualifying criteria might need to change but that is a job for the people that are a lot more knowledgeable on things like that.”

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