{"id":585096,"date":"2026-04-04T13:56:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T13:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/585096\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T13:56:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T13:56:11","slug":"golf-analyst-highlights-problematic-issue-for-jon-rahm-ahead-of-the-masters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/585096\/","title":{"rendered":"Golf analyst highlights &#8220;problematic&#8221; issue for Jon Rahm ahead of The Masters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Former PGA Tour winner turned controversial Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has outlined what he believes is a weakness of Jon Rahm&#8217;s ahead of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfmagic.com\/tour\/us-masters\" data-entity-type=\"taxonomy_term\" data-entity-uuid=\"fd1c19ee-39b5-46a7-b7ea-1a016bac0b77\" data-entity-substitution=\"canonical\" title=\"The Masters\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Masters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The 31-year-old Spaniard already knows what it takes to win at Augusta National, having clinched the green jacket in 2023 when Brooks Koepka folded like a pack of cards in the final round.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It represented Rahm&#8217;s second major championship triumph after clinching the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in dramatic fashion two years prior.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But plenty of golf fans and pundits have argued that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfmagic.com\/players\/jon-rahm\" data-entity-type=\"taxonomy_term\" data-entity-uuid=\"c782252c-246d-46d2-9cef-a1b05de0c85b\" data-entity-substitution=\"canonical\" title=\"Jon Rahm\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rahm<\/a> probably should have more majors under his belt by now given his pedigree.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-03-22t144548z_1325622989_up1em3m150aha_rtrmadp_3_golf-liv-safrica-1.JPG\"   type=\"image\/jpeg\" alt=\"Jon Rahm is still among the favourites to clinch the 2026 Masters\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.43\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>Jon Rahm is still among the favourites to clinch the 2026 Masters<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>He is yet to win one of golf&#8217;s big four since his big-money move to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfmagic.com\/tour\/liv-golf\" data-entity-type=\"taxonomy_term\" data-entity-uuid=\"a98bdd27-b225-4fc9-b7d2-bbff98678a53\" data-entity-substitution=\"canonical\" title=\"LIV Golf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">LIV Golf<\/a> in December 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Rahm has only truly put himself into contention once to complete a hat-trick of major wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Last May, Rahm capitalised on Scottie Scheffler&#8217;s sluggish start and tied the lead with nine holes remaining.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But he blew up in spectacular fashion, dropping five strokes on the final three holes to slide into a share of eighth at Valhalla.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Still, Rahm will arrive in Georgia next week as one of the pre-tournament favourites alongside world number one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfmagic.com\/players\/scottie-scheffler\" data-entity-type=\"taxonomy_term\" data-entity-uuid=\"d4998e34-4890-4951-97eb-6523a5a74aa2\" data-entity-substitution=\"canonical\" title=\"Scottie Scheffler\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Scheffler<\/a> and the defending champion <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfmagic.com\/players\/rory-mcilroy\" data-entity-type=\"taxonomy_term\" data-entity-uuid=\"af3de653-62db-4df6-b6c6-18281f91c1cb\" data-entity-substitution=\"canonical\" title=\"Rory McIlroy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rory McIlroy<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Young and Justin Rose are also expected to mount challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Jon Rahm major results since LIV Golf move<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">Year<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">Major<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">Result<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">2024<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">Masters Tournament<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">T45<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">2024<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">PGA Championship<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">Missed cut<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">2024<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">U.S. Open<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">WD (Injured)<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">2024<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">The Open Championship<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">T7<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">2025<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">Masters Tournament<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">T14<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">2025<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">PGA Championship<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">T8<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">2025<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">U.S. Open<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">T7<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">2025<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">The Open Championship<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\">T34<\/p>\n<p>Chamblee told the Indo Sport golf podcast that he doesn&#8217;t consider Rahm among his favourites, despite having \u00a0&#8220;pretty much everything&#8221;.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He argued Rahm&#8217;s iron play is not his strength at Augusta, save for one year.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In the years that you could find strokes gained data at Augusta National, and it&#8217;s only been a handful, so not a huge subset, but, you know, he&#8217;s 20th or 30th on average in strokes gained approach, in that field, 20th or 30th.<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So that&#8217;s a lot of people who hit their irons better than you.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So, again, everybody&#8217;s got their caveats. Everybody&#8217;s got their question marks.<\/p>\n<p>Chamblee also pointed out that Rahm has a short, quick backswing. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You know, that proves problematic in stressful major championship situations,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Chamblee says LIV Golf stats are &#8220;laughable&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Chamblee also argued that it&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfmagic.com\/tour\/us-masters\/bryson-dechambeau-told-his-liv-golf-stats-are-laughable-ahead-masters\" data-entity-type=\"node\" data-entity-uuid=\"d4aa6538-99d7-4e16-9060-d8452e25b4f7\" data-entity-substitution=\"canonical\" title=\"Bryson DeChambeau told his LIV Golf stats are &quot;laughable&quot; ahead of The Masters\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">hard to gauge how players<\/a> in the LIV Golf League will fare in major events given their statistics are &#8220;laughable&#8221;.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>Chamblee argued the courses LIV Golf visit are much, much easier than the established PGA Tour.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll try to put it in perspective,&#8221; Chamblee said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Bryson, he&#8217;s played, like, five times this year. He&#8217;s averaging right at 77 per cent of the greens in regulation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To put that into perspective. When he played the [PGA] Tour for five or six years, he averaged around 67 per cent of the greens hit in regulation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Tour leaders every year in greens regulation is usually around 72, 73 per cent. When Tiger had his historic year in 2000, he hit 75 per cent of the greens.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>Chamblee added: &#8220;Nobody&#8217;s ever hit a golf ball better than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfmagic.com\/players\/tiger-woods\" data-entity-type=\"taxonomy_term\" data-entity-uuid=\"deb1f1ec-eef3-40a6-b478-21b336be3276\" data-entity-substitution=\"canonical\" title=\"Tiger Woods\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tiger<\/a> in 2000, and I can promise you, Bryson&#8217;s not hitting his irons that good.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And he&#8217;s not even leading! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfmagic.com\/players\/jon-rahm\" data-entity-type=\"taxonomy_term\" data-entity-uuid=\"c782252c-246d-46d2-9cef-a1b05de0c85b\" data-entity-substitution=\"canonical\" title=\"Jon Rahm\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jon Rahm<\/a> is leading with 82.22 per cent of the greens in regulation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This would be like Steph Curry shooting free throws through a hula hoop size goal and peacocking around like he&#8217;s, you know, better than he&#8217;s ever been.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So, you know, the numbers are just, you know, they&#8217;re dubious, and you kind of look at them askance, and you&#8217;re like, you can&#8217;t make heads or tails of those.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Subscribe to our Newsletter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former PGA Tour winner turned controversial Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has outlined what he believes is a&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":585097,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,15811,14239,1747,85,17202],"class_list":{"0":"post-585096","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-golf","11":"tag-jon-rahm","12":"tag-liv-golf","13":"tag-pga-tour","14":"tag-sports","15":"tag-the-masters"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=585096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/585097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=585096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=585096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=585096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}