Jon Rahm has been a busy man.
Following his strong performance at The Open Championship, Rahm appeared on Golf Sin Etiquetas, a Spanish golf podcast, to discuss a variety of topics.
First, Rahm squashed any rumor floating around that he may join LIV Golf in the near future.
“I laugh when people rumor me with LIV Golf,” Rahm said in Spanish, which Handicap 54 transcribed, translated, and posted to its Twitter feed.
“I’ve never liked the format. And I always have a good time with Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia in the practice rounds of majors.”
Mickelson attended Arizona State, the same school Rahm played for and graduated from in 2016. The two share a bond over their beloved Sun Devils.
“Phil respects my decision, and I respect his [choice],” Rahm added. “Mickelson has told me that I have no reason to go play for LIV, and he has told me that multiple times.”
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KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — Phil Mickelson celebrates with Jon Rahm after winning the 2021 PGA Championship held at the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island Golf Resort on May 23, 2021.
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Rahm’s remarks about Mickelson and LIV Golf come as a genuine reprieve from the divide that has afflicted professional golf over the past few years.
Yet, the Spaniard feels that LIV is going nowhere, another topic he touched on with Golf Sin Etiquetas.
“I think LIV Golf will continue, from what I understand and have talked about with their players,” Rahm said. “None of them intend to return, and for that, they left the PGA Tour. They left for a reason.”
Rahm did not take a stance on whether this was a positive or negative development.
Instead, he pressed on about the future, hoping that the influx of capital from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF)—the beneficiary of LIV Golf—would improve the PGA Tour.
“With all this capital that can come, we can create a better PGA Tour for everyone,” Rahm added.
“So that the week is better, that the gym is better, that there is a recovery area, that the physiotherapists have better conditions, that the food is more consistent and the best, that there is a charter flight for the players [between tournaments].”
Rahm continued to provide perspective about life on the PGA Tour.
Making a living on tour is difficult for many touring professionals, especially those who rank around 125th in the world. Sometimes, those players will lose money in a given year because of traveling, lodging, food, and more expenses.
Rahm did not express agitation over this dilemma; instead, he highlighted an overlooked issue.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Jon Rahm celebrates in front of patrons after his four-stroke victory at the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2023.
Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
But Rahm expressed his frustrations about current PGA Tour officials failing to inform players of their behind-the-scenes conversations with the PIF.
“Two minutes before the announcement came out, someone from the PGA Tour contacted me and told me everything,” Rahm said. “I thought it was a joke. And this is what they should have done from the beginning. Instead, they generated division and then decided to come together again.”
On Jun. 6, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan appeared alongside Yasir al-Rumayyan, the Governor of the PIF, to announce to the world that the PGA and the PIF had struck a ‘framework agreement.’ Essentially, this language means that the two sides have agreed to settle their differences and negotiate a deal by Dec. 31, 2023.
This news blindsided golfers.
That included Rahm, who accused PGA Tour management of betraying its players ahead of the U.S. Open in June.
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LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Jon Rahm during a practice round prior to the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles Country Club on June 14, 2023.
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Another subject Rahm touched on during this podcast was the Ryder Cup, an event Rahm has a deep passion for, similar to how his idol Seve Ballesteros did during his playing days.
“With all the respect for European players, the only one from LIV I would choose for the Ryder Cup would be Sergio [Garcia],” Rahm noted. “We will have a change of dynamics, with more young players, who will be in the same situation I have been in before.”
Rahm and Garcia, two Spaniards, have shared plenty of Ryder Cup success.
When the Europeans dominated the Americans in France in 2018, Rahm and Garcia combined to win four points.
Three years later, these two Spaniards were the only Europeans who recorded at least three points each. The Americans won with ease at Whistling Straits, winning the cup back from Europe for the first time since 2016.
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PARIS — Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm embrace after Europe won the Ryder Cup over the Americans 17.5 to 10.5 at Le Golf National on September 30, 2018.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Now Rahm will likely not have Garcia in 2023 due to his affiliation with LIV Golf—an unfortunate circumstance considering Garcia is the winningest player in Ryder Cup history.
“I need someone who understands how I go on the golf course, with a certain grit and some intensity,” Rahm said about the upcoming Ryder Cup in Italy. “It has to be someone willing to have the same energy level as me, as I did with Sergio Garcia.”
The 2023 Ryder Cup will mark Rahm’s third time representing the European side.
But the complications surrounding LIV Golf will make the bi-annual competition look much different than in years past.
Rahm is not the young buck anymore. Instead, he will serve as one of the accomplished veterans mentoring younger players on the European side.
Maybe he should mentor the entire golfing world too.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
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