Paul McGinley appears to have won his argument with Jon Rahm after ripping into the Spaniard’s decision to join LIV Golf, following a disappointing showing at The Open Championship
LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm suffered more major disappointment at the Open Championship(Image: Getty Images)
Paul McGinley has been proven correct once again in his assessment that joining LIV Golf has hampered Jon Rahm’s chances of winning more majors.
Rahm had to settle for a hugely underwhelming T34 finish at the Open Championship on Sunday, marking his worst major finish of the year.
It characterised the underwhelming form the Spaniard has displayed since his shock move to the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV circuit at the end of 2023, having previously pledged to stay with the PGA Tour. His controversial decision to jump ship came by way of an absurd offer of around £225million.
Despite enjoying plenty of success on the breakaway tour, that has not translated to success at the majors for the former Masters and US Open winner. That was a concern former Ryder Cup captain McGinley raised after Rahm’s collapse at the US PGA Championship back in May, where he finished in a nine-way tie for eighth place.
“Jon’s performances in majors since he’s gone to LIV have been disappointing,” the Dubliner told the Golf Channel. “Because three years ago before he went to LIV, I would say he’s going to be an absolute powerhouse – not far from where we have Scottie [Scheffler] now.
“We haven’t seen that from Jon when he’s come back to the majors. Yes, he’s top 10 every week on LIV, but we’re really looking at the majors.”
McGinley voiced his belief that many LIV golfers are likely facing challenges they “hadn’t thought about” when they made the move. That unexpected element could be causing some players to fall off the radar at major golf tournaments.
“There’s nothing easy in life,” he added. “Yes, they can say they’ve made a lot of money. But they’re hurting on the other side in terms of coming to these major championships not on the cutting edge, as they would have been had they stayed on the PGA Tour.”
Rahm had responded to the criticism after his impressive Saturday display at Quail Hollow, which briefly put him in contention. Speaking prior to his Sunday meltdown, he said: “Me going to LIV and playing worse in majors had nothing to do with where I was playing golf. My swing was simply not at the level it had to be for me to compete.
“It’s easier to post a score on non-major championship courses and venues, and I think when you get to the biggest stages like this one and these courses, those flaws are going to get exposed, and it did.
“There have been weeks where I was able to play better, like The Open last year. The Masters obviously wasn’t a good start, but it got better as the week went on, and I’m still working and trying to get my swing to a better spot.”
However, he fared even worse at Royal Portrush in a frustrating week at the Open. The 30-year-old arrived in Northern Ireland confident after finishing second at the LIV Andalucia event in Valderrama.
Paul McGinley was right to raise concerns about Rahm joining LIV(Image: Getty Images)
He failed to find his rhythm, shooting a one-under-par 70 in the opening round and following it up with a disappointing 72 on Friday, while his scores of 69 and 70 on the weekend were not enough to fight his way into contention.
His three-under-par finish landed him outside the top 30 as the PGA Tour’s Scottie Scheffler claimed his fourth major win in dominant fashion. Scheffler’s former rival Rahm only just managed to avoid his worst Open finish since his 2017 debut by holing from distance at the 15th and 18th.
Rahm admitted afterwards that he “did not play well enough and there are no excuses” after a week of erratic play and missed opportunities. However, he remains “optimistic” that he can replicate Scheffler’s recent success in the near future.
“Very few players have been able to do what he’s done,” Rahm said. “He’s won three majors in three years. Won nine times last season, and he keeps going on. He’s doing what everybody wants to do.
“What I keep reminding myself is that he was able to turn things around drastically. From not being able to close out early on some of the chances he had to getting it done often. If he’s been able to do it, all of us are able to do it.
“I’ve definitely played really high, and I’ve had my battles against him head to head, and it’s always been a lot of fun. I’m optimistic that I can get to that level as well. Obviously, it’s not easy, but I’m optimistic it can be done.”