After leaping from the PGA Tour to the LIV Golf League in December, Jon Rahm did not get an opportunity to defend his first three victories from 2023.
Rahm might solely watch the Sentry in Hawai’i, American Categorical in La Quinta, California, and the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Nation Membership outdoors Los Angeles on TV after PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan suspended him for competing within the LIV Golf League.
Rahm, 29, additionally missed enjoying in final week’s Gamers Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Seashore, Florida, the tour’s flagship occasion and “fifth main.”
“I am not going to lie; for everyone who mentioned this may be simple, some issues have been, however not with the ability to defend some titles that imply quite a bit to me hasn’t,” Rahm mentioned Tuesday. “I like Palm Springs — I have been capable of win twice there. Riviera is about as charismatic of a golf course as now we have. It is undoubtedly per week that’s implausible for lots of us, and it is a fan and participant favourite. Not being there was tough.
“I nonetheless watched the published. I nonetheless watch golf as a result of I like watching it, but it surely’s laborious. It was laborious to not be on the Phoenix Open on the finish of February, and it was laborious to not be at Hawai’i as a result of it is one other event that my household enjoys, and I’ve executed implausible on.”
Lastly, Rahm will get an opportunity to defend a title on the Masters, the primary main championship of the season, at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership beginning April 11. Jack Nicklaus (1965, 1966), Nick Faldo (1989, 1990) and Tiger Woods (2001, 2002) are the one back-to-back winners on the Masters.
“I feel simply being the Masters and being a serious, it is already a unique week as it’s,” Rahm mentioned. “I do not know if I’d have [defended the other tournament wins], and I will likely be serious about these tournaments I have not defended on. It is executed. It is previous.
“It is a determination I made, and I am snug with it. However I am hoping I can come again, and hopefully I can truly defend [at the Masters], as properly. That will be a dream come true. Not many back-to-back champions, and that may be very distinctive to have the ability to put my title to that listing.”
Final 12 months, Rahm survived a 30-hole marathon on Sunday and erased a 4-shot deficit to defeat Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson by 4. His victory got here on what would have been his idol Seve Ballesteros‘ 66th birthday and the fortieth anniversary of the Spaniard’s second Masters win.
“I hadn’t thought of it till now, truthfully,” Rahm mentioned. “I attempt to go about my day-to-day enterprise and what I am attempting to perform proper now. I’ve defended the Spanish Open, so this could possibly be my second-ever title protection. That will be fairly unbelievable.”
Rahm, 29, signed a multiyear contract reportedly price greater than $300 million to change into captain of the LIV Golf League’s new Legion XIII workforce. He’ll host the Champions Dinner because the reigning inexperienced jacket winner and expects a heat reception from different golfers.
“I imply, thus far I have not had any unhealthy experiences,” Rahm mentioned. “I’ve seen different PGA Tour execs, and I have not actually seen something unhealthy. I am assuming there will likely be fairly just a few that aren’t pleased and possibly our dynamics [have] modified, however because it involves my aspect, nothing modifications. I nonetheless respect all people on either side and respect the sport of golf above all.”
On Monday, Monahan and participant administrators from the PGA Tour’s coverage board, together with Woods, met with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund, within the Bahamas. The PIF, which has financed the LIV Golf League the previous three years, is contemplating an funding in PGA Tour Enterprises, a newly shaped for-profit entity.
If a deal will get executed, males’s skilled golf could possibly be reunited after three years of bitter disputes and controversy.
“Now, the way forward for the sport at this level is as much as the individuals larger up,” Rahm mentioned. “I feel I’ve mentioned it earlier than, I feel there is a approach of co-existing, and if there’s some sort of union, I do not know what that appears like, however once more, I simply need to have the ability to see the most effective on the earth compete in opposition to the most effective on the earth, no matter that appears like.”
Rahm is second within the LIV Golf League’s particular person factors standings after ending third in Mexico in his debut, eighth in Las Vegas, fifth in Saudi Arabia and 14th in Hong Kong. His workforce gained a workforce title on the season opener in Mexico.
A 12 months in the past, Rahm had already gained 3 times in eight begins on the PGA Tour earlier than capturing his second main championship win at Augusta Nationwide. Prior to now two begins, he was compelled to withdraw after just one spherical on the Gamers Championship due to sickness and tied for thirty first on the WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play.
The third-ranked golfer on the earth can have solely 5 begins this season earlier than the Masters, following LIV Golf’s event at Trump Nationwide Doral outdoors Miami on April 5-7.
Rahm plans to play a few apply rounds at Augusta Nationwide subsequent week.
“Final 12 months I did not play the week earlier than the Masters,” Rahm mentioned. “This 12 months I’m. However I’ve executed it up to now and executed properly. It is laborious to say what’s higher or not. It is a little bit totally different.”
