‘Emotional’ Jon Rahm eyes PGA Tour return 

A win on his LIV Golf debut came at a sacrifice. 

Jon Rahm made his first event away from the PGA Tour a memorable win, thanks to lifting the team title with new franchise Legion XIII at LIV Golf Mayakoba. 

But the Masters champion has already missed the chance to defend two titles on his former circuit in 2024, as well as events at Torrey Pines and in his hometown. 

The 29-year-old won the U.S. Open – his first major – at the California venue, while he described skipping the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Arizona as ‘emotional’. 

“It was a lot harder to be at home not competing and know that those events were going on,” he said, ahead of his second LIV Golf event. 

“Palm Springs and Torrey, those weeks were hard. I’ve explained so many times how important Torrey is for me. And driving by Phoenix as often as I had to and knowing that I wasn’t going to play there, it’s definitely emotional.” 

Subject to the ongoing feud between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, Rahm is eyeing up a return to his former employer, though. 

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Despite admitting there is no regret in moving away from his favourite events, the Spaniard would like to find a way back. 

“I’m hoping that in the near future I can be back playing some of those events. I would certainly love to go back and play some of them. 

“If there’s ever a way back and a way where we can play, even if it’s as an invite, I will take it. Like I said, there’s certain events that are special to me that I would still love to support. 

“I’m not typically a person that’s going to regret any decisions. I made as educated a decision as I could get with the full support of the people around me and confident that it was the right thing for me.” 

Instead, Rahm will play in the ‘Sin City’ this week at LIV Golf Las Vegas. It comes on the back of a T3 finish in Mexico, with teammates Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt in T8 and T13, respectively. 

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Hatton emphasised Rahm’s take on missing events, as the Englishman is set to miss out on competing at Bay Hill, the site of his only PGA Tour win. 

“That was part of what you were signing up for joining LIV, that you were going to be missing certain events, and like Jon said, we hope in the future that there’s ways where golf comes back together, and we can play certain events that we want to be playing,” he said. 

“Yeah, golf is just in a bit of a weird spot right now, but I don’t regret my decision. You just move forward.” 

Meanwhile, the prospect of playing DP World Tour events is another that Rahm is keen on, as he admitted events like the Spanish Open are on his wish list. 

“I would love to, if allowed and if I can, go play the Spanish Open, and if it doesn’t conflict with LIV’s schedule, right.  

“But a tournament that both me and Tyrrell are going to miss dearly is Wentworth. If I qualify, I’d still love to go play in Dubai, the DP World TOUR Championship. There’s certainly events I would like to play.”