This time final 12 months, the PGA Tour season belonged to Jon Rahm. The Spaniard ran by the West Coast swing with wins at The Sentry, the American Categorical and the Genesis Invitational earlier than capping off his torrid begin to the 12 months with a inexperienced jacket on the 2023 Masters.
Nevertheless, that was final 12 months, and this 12 months Rahm is not on the PGA Tour after he transitioned to LIV Golf this offseason. Along with his transfer, the world No. 3 has been unable to defend his titles. Whereas some have recommended a large contract from LIV Golf can be sufficient to squash any concern of lacking out, Rahm says in any other case.
“I am not going to lie: For everyone who mentioned this is able to be straightforward, some issues have been, however not having the ability to defend some titles that imply quite a bit to me hasn’t [been easy],” Rahm mentioned. “I like Palm Springs == I have been in a position to win twice there. Riviera is about as charismatic of a golf course as we have now. It is positively 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 exhausting,” he continued. “It was exhausting to not be on the Phoenix Open on the finish of February, and it was exhausting to not be at Hawaii as a result of it is one other event that my household enjoys, and I’ve achieved implausible on.”
Rahm will enter this 12 months’s Masters because the defending champion and unveiled his Champions Dinner menu Tuesday paying homage to his residence nation of Spain. His dinner can be attended by the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo — the one three males to efficiently defend their inexperienced jackets at Augusta Nationwide.
Additionally in attendance would be the man to whom this 12 months’s PGA Tour season presently belongs: Scottie Scheffler. Recent off victories on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Gamers Championship, the 2022 Masters champion is the clear favourite to slide on his second inexperienced jacket in three weeks’ time.
“I am absolutely conscious of the place Scottie is. I’ve seen it the final two years. I am absolutely conscious the place he’s,” Rahm mentioned. “He is an ideal competitor, and he’s someone that once you’re beneath the gun and you have to get it achieved, he is been in a position to get it achieved. He has an ideal partnership with Ted Scott, they usually clearly work nice collectively. I really feel like I do not should be enjoying subsequent to him to know what is going on on. Like I mentioned, anytime you are doing the historical past he is been in a position to do, it is fairly spectacular.
“I feel that is what’s making this Masters and plenty of different majors going to be a lot enjoyable, not just for me and for gamers however for spectators, is for all of us to have the ability to play collectively once more and showcase what we’re able to,” Rahm continued. “I really feel like my recreation is in actually good place. I’ve not performed my finest but. However I can see it each event getting a bit of bit higher and getting to a degree the place I like the place I am at coming as much as the Masters.”
Rahm and Scheffler haven’t been on the identical golf course in competitors because the 2023 Ryder Cup, the place the 2 tied their Sunday singles match. It was the second straight Ryder Cup that Rahm and Scheffler had met on the ultimate day of competitors.
Since then, Rahm has performed properly on LIV Golf. In 4 begins, he has 4 high 10s with shut calls at Mayakoba and Las Vegas beneath his belt. He’ll play the week earlier than the Masters at Trump Nationwide Doral — a former PGA Tour venue the place Masters champions like Woods, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and Patrick Reed have all received.Â
“Final 12 months, I had eight begins earlier than the Masters,” Rahm mentioned. “This 12 months goes to be 5. Final 12 months, I did not play the week earlier than the Masters. This 12 months, I’m. However I’ve achieved it up to now and achieved properly. It is exhausting to say what’s higher or not. It is a bit of totally different. … I am hoping I can go to the Masters and do the identical factor, give myself an opportunity on Sunday.”