{"id":651271,"date":"2026-05-18T23:39:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T23:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/651271\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T23:39:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T23:39:18","slug":"jon-rahm-came-close-at-the-pga-championship-and-he-reopened-golfs-biggest-argument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/651271\/","title":{"rendered":"Jon Rahm Came Close at the PGA Championship, and He Reopened Golf\u2019s Biggest Argument"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. \u2014 Jon Rahm made it clear on Saturday that he\u2019d be playing for himself during the final round of the PGA Championship. It is an individual sport, after all, and all the noise surrounding LIV Golf<\/a> and its impact on his ability to compete at the highest level was just that.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, he had to feel some level of vindication after he tied for second at Aronimink Golf Club, three shots short of surprise winner Aaron Rai<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The last month has been tumultuous for LIV Golf as it has played two events with the narrative that it is on the verge of collapse<\/a>. Short of that, LIV Golf is set for big changes ahead as the Saudi Arabia sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, has said it will pull funding at the end of the year.<\/p>\n

One way or another, Rahm will be fine. He\u2019s made an enormous amount of money<\/a>. And eventually, either LIV will work out or he\u2019ll find a way back to the PGA Tour. He\u2019s already agreed to a deal<\/a> that will see him regain his DP World Tour membership. He\u2019s already said he\u2019ll play the Scottish Open the week before the British Open.<\/p>\n

But the \u201cLIV hurts play in the majors\u201d narrative is nonetheless difficult to squash without more success.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, obviously I performed well last week,\u201d Rahm said of his performance at LIV Golf Virginia after he had won in Mexico City. \u201cI did really well in Mexico. After the Masters I’ve been playing good. I just\u2014when the pressure is the highest in majors, some of those things you’re working on, those weak links can damage the foundation, right?<\/p>\n

\u201cJust happy that all those things I felt like I could have done better at Augusta ended up working out this week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rahm\u2019s tie for 28th\u00a0at the Masters coupled with Bryson DeChambeau\u2019s missed cut sharpened the debate<\/a> that LIV events don\u2019t prepare the players for the majors.<\/p>\n

And certainly LIV\u2019s five-event international schedule prior to the majors\u2014including a grueling three-week stretch to Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa that ended just two weeks before the Masters\u2014didn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n

\"Bryson<\/p>\n

LIV Golf\u2019s Bryson DeChambeau (left) missed the cut at the PGA. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

But Tyrrell Hatton finished third at the Masters and DeChambeau had consecutive top-six finishes at Augusta prior to this year and won the 2024 U.S. Open. When he was playing for LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka won the 2023 PGA Championship<\/a>, although he hasn\u2019t had a top-10 in a major since that victory.<\/p>\n

The bottom line is you can play this game and pick either side to fit your agenda. Bottom line, these guys are professional golfers, and a player of Rahm\u2019s caliber should be able to get himself ready no matter where he plays tournament golf.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe margin, even though it’s three shots, it can be so small honestly,\u201d Rahm said in the aftermath of the PGA. \u201cI feel like I’m playing really good golf and definitely played good enough this week to give myself a chance to win. So keep doing what I’ve been doing well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still need to give myself some time to think about what I could have done better this week. Right now I’m really still fresh on just today, but I did miss two putts from about four feet (Saturday). So that’s two shots right there.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a difficult 2024 in the majors, Rahm now has three top-eight finishes in his last five. He contended on Sunday at last year\u2019s PGA until he blew up over the final holes and tied for eighth.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also been by far LIV Golf\u2019s best and most consistent player, finishing in the top 10 in 31 of 32 LIV events. This year he has two victories and six top-fives in seven LIV events.<\/p>\n

Overall, it was a solid week on the course for LIV golfers. Seven of the 11 in the field made the cut. Cam Smith snapped his major streak of missed cuts. David Puig\u2019s tie for 18th\u00a0was good enough to move him into the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking, allowing him to qualify for the U.S. Open. Dustin Johnson, a somewhat surprising invite, made the cut and tied for 44th.<\/p>\n

Johnson, perhaps more than anyone, has been the example cited for LIV\u2019 s impact on major performance. He\u2019s just 41, and yet has posted just two top-10s in majors, the last a tie for 10th\u00a0at the 2023 U.S. Open. He\u2019s missed six cuts over the past three years.<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s struggles have been more pronounced. He missed the cut in all four majors last year as well as the Masters this year.<\/p>\n

This could simply be down to an inevitable falloff after winning the Players Championship and the British Open in 2022 before jumping to LIV Golf.<\/p>\n

\"Cam<\/p>\n

Cameron Smith tied for seventh at Aronimink. | James Lang-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Before those six straight missed cuts, Smith posted three top-10s in majors. His tie for seventh at the PGA on Sunday is his best finish<\/a> since he tied for sixth at the 2024 Masters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, it feels great to play nice,\u201d said Smith, who recently made a coaching change to Claude Harmon III. \u201cYou don’t work hard to play crap, and it’s frustrating, and the last couple of years have been frustrating. I feel like I’ve been putting in the work and not really getting anything out of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made a swing coach switch a couple weeks ago now to Claude, and we’ve just managed to clean up a few things that were perhaps a little bit off, and I feel like I’ve got a lot more confidence in my swing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith hasn\u2019t exactly been tearing it up on LIV Golf, so it is difficult to say if his issues are attributable to playing there. Through last year\u2019s Australian PGA Championship, he had missed seven consecutive cuts in events that had a 36-hole cut. Then he finished second at the Australian Open.<\/p>\n

Now he\u2019s got a strong result in a major.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I’ve thrived in major championships my whole career,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel like I’ve been able to play my best golf in major championships, and that kind of fell off. And like I mentioned before, I don’t think it was from a lack of hard work. I just think you lose a little bit of confidence in your swing and maybe in your brain, and it can all happen so quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

After taking this week off, the LIV Golf League will next head to South Korea, followed by an event in Spain. Not exactly an easy travel schedule. That leaves just a week prior to the U.S. Open at Shinnecock.<\/p>\n

Depending on your view, the same narratives are bound to return.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open qualifying<\/p>\n

The final path via qualifying for the U.S. Open next month at Shinnecock Hills begins today, with two sites staging qualifiers. One is in Dallas, the other at Walton Heath in England. The final number of qualifying places is determined at the start of the 36-hole competitions.<\/p>\n

It is a big day for LIV Golf players because the other U.S. sites on June 8 follow LIV Golf\u2019s event in Spain, making that an impossible opportunity.<\/p>\n

There are 14 entered at the Dallas site: Peter Uihlein, Caleb Surratt, Jose Ballester, Michael LaSasso, Abe Ancer, Harold Varner, Sergio Garcia, Branden Grace. Sebastian Munoz, Graeme McDowell (2010 U.S. Open champ), Brendan Steele, Ben An, Cameron Tringale and Lucas Herbert.<\/p>\n

\"Tom<\/p>\n

Tom Kim is among the Tour veterans looking to qualify for next month\u2019s U.S. Open. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Also at that site are various Tour players including Tom Kim, Nick Dunlap, Eric Cole, Mackenzie Hughes, Charley Hoffman, Tom Hoge, Joel Dahmen and Ryan Moore.<\/p>\n

The England site has LIV players Thomas Detry, Sam Horsfield and Victor Perez. Other entrants are Edoardo Molinari, Matteo Manassero, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Ross Fisher.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Open also offers spots to players who are among the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday and again on June 15. David Puig, who was entered in the Dallas qualifier, moved into the top 60 with his tie for 18th\u00a0at the PGA Championship.<\/p>\n

Aaron Rai\u2019s unlikely major breakthrough<\/p>\n

The new PGA Championship winner wasn\u2019t exactly tearing it up prior to his triumph at Aronimink. Although Aaron Rai had qualified for the PGA Tour\u2019s first two signature events at Pebble Beach and the Genesis Invitational, he wasn\u2019t in any others.<\/p>\n

His best finish this year with fifth place at the opposite-field Myrtle Beach Classic and he had missed cuts at the Players Championship and Valspar Championship. He was 48th\u00a0at the Masters and then not eligible for the RBC Heritage, Cadillac Championship or Truist Championship.<\/p>\n

The major championships? The English golfer had played in only 12 previously, with nine made cuts and no finish better than a tie for 19th.<\/p>\n

Starting the final round two back of leader Alex Smalley, Rai bogeyed the par-3 eighth hole to drop to 3 under par, with Justin Thomas in the clubhouse at 5 under, Matti Schmid at 6 under and slew of players in the mix.<\/p>\n

\"Aaron<\/p>\n

Rai emerged from the pack to win the PGA by three shots. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

But an eagle at the 9th got him to 5 under and when he birdied the 11th, he was at 6 under and in the lead. Although there was plenty of danger lurking, he never relinquished the top spot and finished at 9 under to win by three.<\/p>\n

An incredible win worthy of celebration, right?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure. I haven\u2019t thought that far ahead just yet,\u201d he said Sunday night before his wife, Gaurika Bishnoi chimed in, saying,\u201cHe\u2019ll probably have Chipotle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do love Chipotle on the road,\u201d Rai said. \u201cSo we\u2019ll probably go to Chipoltle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next for the PGA: Frisco, Texas<\/p>\n

Next year\u2019s PGA Championship is scheduled to be played at the new PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas, at the the Fields Ranch East Course, May 19-23, which is a week later than this year\u2019s tournament at Aronimink.<\/p>\n

That could present some heat problems in the Dallas-Forth Worth area. Last year\u2019s KPMG Women\u2019s PGA Championship was plagued by issues, including complaints about the course setup and the length of rounds. The course, designed by Gil Hanse, who also did extensive work at Aronimink in advance of the PGA and many other courses, opened in 2023.<\/p>\n

The other issue is the PGA Tour schedule.<\/p>\n

The Byron Nelson Championship in Dallas is this week followed by the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial next week. Those two long-time PGA Tour staples are likely to be separated again next year to accommodate the PGA scheduling.<\/p>\n

\"Cadillac<\/p>\n

The Cadillac Championship, which included Scottie Scheffler among its competitors this year, does not have a set date for 2027. | Jeff Romance-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Following Colonial this year is the Memorial Tournament, the Canadian Open and then the U.S. Open.<\/p>\n

Next year, there will be one less week following the PGA but two more preceding it.<\/p>\n

Tournaments such as the RBC Heritage and the Zurich Classic are currently slotting in to follow the Masters. So far, the Cadillac Championship, which was two weeks ago, does not have a date and there is a possibility one of the Dallas-area tournaments goes there. The Truist Championship is again scheduled for the week prior to the PGA Championship.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn terms of PGA Frisco itself, we have continued to make tweaks and changes and improvements to the golf course, based on the feedback we’ve had from the two championships that have already been played there, including adding a large number of shade trees to help the spectator experience, as well as some tweaks and adjustments to the golf course itself based on feedback from the players,\u201d said Kerry Haigh, the PGA of America\u2019s chief championships officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re extremely excited to come to Dallas. I can’t speak for the Tour\u2014they’re still going through their discussions of next year’s schedule. But from our standpoint, we are delighted, we’re excited. It will be fun to see how the players perform on a really tough, challenging golf course.\u201d<\/p>\n

More Golf from Sports Illustrated\"\"Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. \u2014 Jon Rahm made it clear on Saturday that he\u2019d be playing for himself during…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":651272,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[427,99],"class_list":["post-651271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=651271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/651272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=651271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=651271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=651271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}