Tag: Jon Rahm

Jon Rahm spotted playing The Boulders in Scottsdale with Fat Perez, other golf influencers

There’s one time where pro golfers are just like the rest of us: when they play golf on their day off.

There’s one time where pro golfers are just like the rest of us: when they play golf on their day off.

On Wednesday, the official X page for Troon posted a few images of the beautiful Boulders course in Scottsdale. And just look who made up the foursome in the photos: Jon Rahm alongside golf influencers Bob Does Sports, Joey Coldcuts and Fat Perez.

Can you blame the guys for their golf course selection?

The Boulders South course ranks 17th on the Golfweek’s Best public-access courses in Arizona. The South course features the stunning fifth hole, with a huge boulder backdrop behind the green. The North Course is actually a skosh better in the rankings, checking in at T-15.

North Course or South, you can’t go wrong.

Rahm and the rest of his LIV Golf cohorts ended their season about five weeks ago, although he’s likely been busy with his wife Kelly after the birth of the couple’s third child.

Jon Rahm saved par from a nasty lie in the rocks at 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Rahm found himself in a difficult spot on the 12th hole at the Old Course.

Jon Rahm found himself in a difficult spot on the 12th hole at the Old Course on Friday.

But after picking away some seaweed near his ball and then hacking away at it, he managed to make an all-world par save during the second round of the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Rahm had four bogeys elsewhere on the course but also had three birdies and an eagle for a second-round 71 to sit T-29 at 8 under.

He’ll head to the weekend six shots back of Nicolas Colsaerts and Cameron John.

2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Jon Rahm plays his third shot on the 12th hole from the beach on day two of the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews. (Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

The DP World Tour stop is contested over three historic courses – Carnousie and Kingsbarn Links are also in the mix – and everyone gets a shot at the Old Course at least once over the first three days.

Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm highlight Alfred Dunhill Links field with plenty of stars

Make no mistake: the best field in golf this week is across the pond.

Make no mistake: the best field in golf this week is across the pond.

One of the best events on the DP World Tour schedule, the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship gets underway Thursday at three of Scotland’s best courses: the Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. Golfers will compete one round on all three courses before a cut is made, and those who advance to the final round will battle it out at St. Andrews for the title.

As if that wasn’t good enough, each player will team up with an amateur. European soccer star Gareth Bale, Denver Broncos GM John Elway and a host of other A-list celebrities will tee it up with plenty stars in the game of golf for the competition.

Matt Fitzpatrick is the event’s defending champion, and he also won the team competition with his mother, Sue. They’re both back to defend their titles.

In addition to Fitzpatrick’s return, other big names in the field include Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen and more. Also in the field is Billy Horschel, winner of the BMW PGA Championship earlier this month.

Hatton and Padraig Harrington both have a shot at becoming the first player to win the Alfred Dunhill Links three times.

Again, if that wasn’t good enough, entry for fans on the first three days of competition is free. Tickets are needed only on Sunday at St. Andrews for the final round.

For a full look at the field, click here.

Angel Hidalgo tops Jon Rahm in playoff at 2024 Spanish Open

A spectator just a few years ago, Hidalgo hoisted the trophy on Sunday in Madrid.

Jon Rahm had a chance to win the 2024 Spanish Open – in what would’ve been his fourth victory in the event – with an eagle on the final hole.

He couldn’t pull it off but did get a birdie-birdie finish to shoot a final-round 68. But then Angel Hidalgo missed his putt on the last and off to a playoff they went, tied at 14 under at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in Madrid, Spain.

The duo were in an all-Spanish Sunday trio alongside David Puig, who, like Rahm, went to Arizona State, and like Rahm is a member of LIV Golf.

In the playoff Hidalgo and Rahm each made birdie on the first extra hole. On the second playoff hole, Hidalgo two-putted for the win. It wasn’t that long ago he was at the tournament as a fan.

“Two or three years ago, I was in the first tee, in the trees, supporting Jon [Rahm] without playing, I just come here to Madrid to see the tournament,” he said. “To be here and win the tournament is unreal. Oh, my gosh, it’s amazing.”

With Hidalgo in contention Saturday night, his family and friends hurried to be there for Sunday’s round.

“My best friend Paco and coach Jordi and my parents travelled this morning by train to be here for the tournament,” he said. “I wish my brother was here but I will make a video call now – probably he cries more than me, knowing him.”

Jon Rahm celebrates birth of third child, admits he’d love to have ‘this little one’ on Seve Ballesteros

Life is pretty good for Jon Rahm these days.

Life is pretty good for Jon Rahm these days.

Aside from having to withdraw from the LIV Golf Team Championship in Dallas with a case of the flu, Rahm has posted a pair of victories on the Saudi-backed circuit this year and is not even 12 months into a deal that reportedly will earn more than $550 million between his contract and signing bonuses.

Also, his wife Kelly delivered the couple’s third child on Tuesday in Arizona, allowing him the chance to fly to Spain to play in his country’s national open, which he has won thrice.

Rahm did a walk-and-talk on Sky Sports as part of the opening round of the 2024 Spanish Open at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, and while it didn’t come at an opportune time — he had just pulled a drive and nearly bent his driver in frustration — he said everything is good at home with the family.

“They’re doing perfect. Had anything gone wrong, I wouldn’t be here right now,” Rahm said. “Yeah, it was a fantastic birth.”

 

Rahm has been a staple at the Spanish Open, and this year it marks his first DP World Tour event since joining LIV Golf nine months ago. It’s the first of three events on the Euro circuit he’s planning to play in order to keep his Ryder Cup eligibility. He’s also appealing sanctions from the DP World Tour for his LIV participation, an appeal that’s on hold for now, allowing him to play this week.

“There’s a reason why it’s marked on my calendar, every year early on,” he told Sky Sports. “It’s a lot of fun and a little bit it’s also I feel I need to do for Spain, right? Obviously, this country gave me the platform and the many greats that made that platform before me and I think it’s up to me and the the rest of the guys who are playing out here to come and they keep growing that platform.”

While Rahm has won the event three times, so did his golfing hero, Seve Ballesteros, who took home the title in 1981, 1985 and 1995. For Rahm, the chance to win a fourth crown would mean something special.

“The history-making moments, you think about them afterward. If I ever get close to the position of getting to fourth, that’ll be incredible,” Rahm said. “But there are many great things that the great Seve did that I’m very far from: 50 DP World Tour wins and five majors. So many other accomplishments. It would be nice to have this little one over him.”

Jon Rahm playing in first DP World Tour event since joining LIV to keep eligibility for Ryder Cup

While the Presidents Cup has taken center stage for many fans, the DP World Tour has a strong field.

Jon Rahm was late to the 2024 Spanish Open, missing the pro-am and arriving just a day before competition was to start at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

He had a good reason for his tardiness: he was in Scottsdale, Arizona, at home with his wife who just delivered the couple’s third child.

While the Presidents Cup has taken center stage this week for many fans, the DP World Tour has a strong field for its event, one that’s full of Ryder Cuppers and LIV players.

The last time we saw Rahm, he was pulling out of the LIV Golf Team Championship with the flu. And while he is seeking his fourth win in his native country’s open as one of 24 Spanish players in the field, he’s playing his first DP World Tour event since joining LIV Golf nine months ago. It’s the first of three events on the Euro circuit he’s planning to play in order to keep his Ryder Cup eligibility. He’s also appealing sanctions from the DP World Tour for his LIV participation, an appeal that’s on hold for now, allowing him to play this week.

That’s a lot of subplots for one man.

Joining Rahm in the Spanish Open is Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Patrick Reed, Aaron Rai, Sepp Straka and Matthieu Pavon, the event’s defending champion.

Jon Rahm withdraws from 2024 LIV Golf Team Championship

John Catlin has replaced Rahm in the event.

The third LIV Golf season comes to an end this week at the Team Championship outside of Dallas, Texas. Jon Rahm, the captain of Legion XIII, has withdrawn from the event and his LIV season is over a few days early.

Rahm, who won twice on the Saudi-backed league this year (United Kingdom and Chicago), withdrew from the Team Championship due to severe flu symptoms.

John Catlin has replaced Rahm in the event.

The match-play portion of the Team Championship concludes Saturday before one round of stroke play gets underway Sunday. $14 million is on the line for the winning team at Maridoe Golf Club.

https://twitter.com/LegionXIIIgc/status/1837504973581545542

The ratings are out, and less than 100K people tuned in for LIV Golf’s individual championship finale

Only 89,000 people tuned in on the CW to watch Jon Rahm win the title.

LIV Golf’s slogan is Golf, but Louder, but is it?

The Nielsen ratings are out for this weekend, and the ratings for LIV Golf in its individual championship at LIV Golf Chicago were some of the lowest of the season.

Only 89,000 people tuned in on the CW to watch Jon Rahm win the title Sunday, and on Saturday in the second round, which LIV Golf said was its highest-attended round in the United States ever, drew 134,000 viewers on TV.

Those numbers don’t include LIV Golf Plus, but regardless, it paints a stark picture of fan interest in the breakaway league that concludes its third season this week at the Team Championship at Maridoe in Dallas.

https://twitter.com/SportsTVRatings/status/1836090669028544565

Also on Sunday, the Solheim Cup drew an audience of 657K, seven times more than those who watched LIV. For comparison, the Solheim Cup ended about 2:45 p.m. ET Sunday, and LIV Golf Chicago concluded at 6:05 p.m. ET, so they weren’t competing head to head.

As fans of the game continue to be turned off about discussions of PGA Tour vs. LIV and the ongoing push to bring the top players back together, LIV’s TV ratings have yet to take off.

Also with direct competition from college football and the NFL, it’s hard to imagine people turning off football to watch LIV Golf, and the numbers show that.

Rahm won Sunday, making $22 million in the process. That’s $247 and some change for every viewer who tuned in.

Golfers are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world right now. But as LIV and the Public Investment Fund look ahead to what’s next for the league, it’s hard to imagine fan interest changing.

With three years of data, people are not tuning in to watch LIV Golf on TV.

Report: DP World Tour rejects LIV Golf’s offer to pay fines for Jon Rahm, others

LIV Golf has paid more than $10 million in fines for its players.

In an attempt to allow its players to compete on the DP World Tour, the LIV Golf League tried to negotiate a deal to pay players’ fines while offering other monetary payouts and concessions from the league, according to a Sports Illustrated report.

The DP World Tour rejected the offer.

“We met with them and listened to their proposal but did not accept it, as our view remains that the focus should continue to be on all stakeholders working together to reach an overall solution that benefits our sport,” A DP World Tour spokesperson told SI.

Former DP World Tour golfers competing for LIV Golf are in violation of the DP World Tour’s conflicting events policy, which requires a release to play elsewhere. In April 2023, the Tour won a U.K. arbitration case that allows it to enforce the penalties. That means if players want to compete on the DP World Tour, they’ll have to pay a fine, among other penalties.

Jon Rahm, who Sunday won LIV’s season-long individual championship and the $18 million prize, as well as others like Tyrrell Hatton, want to compete in at least the minimum required events on the DP World Tour to be eligible to play in the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. However, to do so, they must pay up.

Rahm and the DP World Tour have been in a somewhat back-and-forth, with an appeal coming from Rahm and his side last week of the sanctions, allowing him to play in events like next week’s Spanish Open.

LIV Golf has paid more than $10 million in fines for its players, and there’s plenty of cash in Rahm’s pockets to pay the fines, if he chooses to do so.

A DP World Tour player must compete in a minimum of four events, excluding majors, to remain a member. The Olympics count, leaving Rahm three events to go this year. Next year, it’ll be the same process.

“I’m entered into the tournament,” Rahm said last week at LIV Golf Chicago. “We entered a long time ago. Whether they let me play or not is a different thing. I’m not a big fan of the fines. I think I’ve been outspoken about that. I don’t intend to pay the fines, and we keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen.

“I’ve said many times, I don’t go to the Spanish Open for the glory or anything else. I think it’s my duty to Spanish golf to be there, and I also want to play in Sotogrande.

“At that point, it would almost be doing not only me but Spanish golf a disservice by not letting me play, so yeah, that’s why we’re trying to talk to them and make that happen. I would also love to play the Dunhill. I have a good friend who asked me to play, and Johan has been a great, great ambassador for the game of golf. I would love to be able to play all those events.”

However, the DP World Tour has planted its foot. It’s standing by the precedent set with the arbitration ruling last year and the PGA Tour with its “strategic alliance” between the two.

The PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund remain in negotiations about the future of men’s professional golf.

Jon Rahm claims $18 million bonus as 2024 LIV Golf individual champion after win in Chicago

Rahm didn’t place outside of the top 10 this season.

When Jon Rahm signed late last year with LIV Golf, he instantly became the best player in the league.

He backed that up all season long, and he was rewarded for it Sunday.

The 29-year-old claimed the 2024 LIV Golf League individual title, a season-long points race similar to that of the FedEx Cup. Rahm held off Joaquin Niemann, the only other player who had a chance to win the lucrative bonus, and will take home the $18 million prize.

Rahm won for the second time this season Sunday, capturing the title at 2024 LIV Golf Chicago at Bolingbrook Golf Club. It was his second victory of the year, and he didn’t place worse than T-10 in 12 events (he withdrew due to injury from LIV Golf Houston in June).

Dustin Johnson won the individual champion in LIV’s inaugural eight-event season in 2022, and last year, it was Talor Gooch taking home the title after a three-win season.

In addition to his two wins and 12 top-10 finishes, Rahm earned $16,737,904 in individual earnings.

LIV’s season will come to a close at the Team Championship finale at Maridoe in Dallas, Sept. 20-22.