Jon Rahm, whose PGA Championship week began with LIV Golf questions and answers, may see it end with a LIV Q&A.
But not before.
Rahm wished for that late Saturday afternoon at Aronimink Golf Club just outside of Philly, where he’d just shot a three-under 67 that left him in a five-way tie for second and two strokes back of leader Alex Smalley. The LIV questions, of course, are inevitable, after Rahm joined the circuit late in 2023, then has recently seen it both lose the backing of its primary investor, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, and search for new money.
And queries came Tuesday, in Rahm’s pre-tournament presser. Five in all.
Would Rahm have done anything differently in deciding to leave the PGA Tour to sign a large-dollar deal with LIV? No, Rahm said, all he could do was learn.
The reporter then wanted to confirm that, indeed, Rahm doesn’t look back.
“Well, we all go back,” he said. “We all think what could have been and what couldn’t have been. It’s inevitable.
“If you made all the decisions — whatever decision you’ve made or choice is thought through and made for the reasons that you think are proper reasons, there’s no sense in dwelling on it. In fact, you shouldn’t really be unhappy about it. At least there’s nothing that you regret.
“If the terms change afterward — like it’s happened with LIV that things changed a little bit — it’s an afterthought, not a problem from the choice. I would say that elements have changed a little bit. That’s it.”
What did he learn from the move?
“That is for me to know,” Rahm said, “and that’s about that.”
But had it been hard to compartmentalize? No, he said. Had it been difficult not to be in control? No, he said again. He’s in control of his golf game, he said.
“My job is to play golf. Luckily. I’m decent at it. And that’s what I can focus on, right,” Rahm said. “What I can focus on is the next shot. It’s the people in charge of LIV, whose job I do not envy for a second, not now, not when things are going good because it’s not something I think I can do. It’s their job to fix it.
“So when it comes to compartmentalizing, when you see it from that point of view, there’s really not much to it. I have faith in the work that they’re doing. I have faith that they’re going to come up with a good plan.
“Until that plan is explained to us, it’s essentially — not that there isn’t anything to worry about, but I don’t think I need to add any attention to it.”
Of course, you wouldn’t expect Rahm to say something opposing all that. But for three days, he’s also seemingly played to prove those words right.
Rahm hasn’t shot above par — one-under 69, even-par 70, three-under 67 — on an Aronimink course that has mostly stumped everyone. Saturday, he called his play fantastic. He said he played patiently. A bogey on 18, after a missed 4-footer for par, stunned him, but he seemed upbeat. He called his play this year, at times, better than what he put forth in 2023, when he won the Masters.
“I would say so far this week it’s felt really, really good,” Rahm said.
And he’ll take your LIV questions on Sunday.
After his third round, Rahm was asked how “meaningful” a win would be for LIV — which drew this answer:
“Honestly, in a week like this, one, I’m thinking more about myself. I’m not going to take on anything outside what I can control when it comes to competing tomorrow.
“If I do get it done and I sit here again tomorrow, then you can ask me the same question, and I’ll give you an answer. But what it would mean for Spain as well in the grand slam tally and being the last leg of the grand slam for us as well, there’s a lot of things that would mean a lot, but too much of it is out of my control.
“So hopefully I can keep doing what I’ve done so far this week, especially today, and I get the chance to answer that tomorrow.”
