Jon Rahm hopes LIV Golf will eventually incorporate a links tournament into its schedule to help its players better prepare for The Open.
The Spaniard gave his thoughts to Evin Priest at Golf Digest following a T7 at the Major – his third top-10 finish at the event.
Rahm, though, is still looking for his first Open title, and he was the only one of 17 LIV golfers in the field to finish in the top 10, while seven, including US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, missed the cut. He thinks if the circuit held a links event the week beforehand, it would help its players.
The Legion XIII captain gave his views ahead of the LIV Golf United Kingdom event, pointing out the significant differences between links golf and other types of courses.
He said: “I would hope so; I'm pushing for it. There's so much that goes into adjusting to links golf; getting used to the greens and the ball reacting on the ground. I didn’t think about it until after [Troon], but it's undeniable how much it helps to play a links golf course the week before the Open.”
Rahm admitted that it won’t be something that happens immediately given LIV Golf’s future commitments. He added: “Obviously, LIV management have contracts in place with some venues and plans in the future. It's not as easy as it sounds to just say, ‘Well, let's do this.’ [But] it'd be something I would like to talk to other players about because that way, there’s strength in numbers if five, six or 10 solid players [all agree]. I think a lot of people might agree with it.”
Each of LIV Golf’s three seasons has featured a tournament at a parkland course immediately before The Open, first at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland in 2022, then at London’s Centurion Club in 2023, before Spain’s Valderrama before this year’s event at Royal Troon.
As to where may fit the bill for a future links event, Rahm thinks Ireland would be the ideal choice. He said: “I love Ireland. I've always felt really welcome in Ireland. It feels like home and some of the most fun rounds of golf I've ever played are there and there are some great venues. So yeah, if there was an opportunity for LIV Golf to play in Ireland it would be absolutely fantastic.”
Following this week’s LIV Golf event at JCB Golf & Country Club, Rahm's attention will turn to the Olympics in Paris, where he will represent his country for the first time. Speaking in his press conference before this week’s tournament, he admitted the chance of winning a gold medal is something he is looking forward to.
He said: “To own a gold medal and earn a gold medal is something that very few people in history can do. To be able to add to your country's medal count is something special. It's basically a dream come true. It's a dream that became a possibility only eight years ago for most of us, so it's quite special.”
