No wonder Jon Rahm said he got emotional driving by Phoenix knowing he wouldn't be teeing it up at TPC Scottsdale this year - as he was probably remembering the scenes at the 16th from 12 months ago.
Rahm made the big move to LIV Golf knowing the massive payday would be tempered by not playing on the PGA Tour - at least for the time being.
And it hit home as was driving through Arizona knowing he wouldn't be playing at the WM Phoenix Open this year - considering the glorious chaos he experienced at the 16th stadium hole 12 months ago.
“It was a lot harder to be at home not competing and know that those events were going on,” he said, ahead of his second LIV Golf event.
“Palm Springs and Torrey, those weeks were hard. I’ve explained so many times how important Torrey is for me. And driving by Phoenix as often as I had to and knowing that I wasn’t going to play there, it’s definitely emotional.”
During last year's third round of WM Phoenix Open, Rahm experienced the chaos that is the 16th hole at first hand, as he drained a monster 40-foot putt to send the crowd crazy, including launching beer bottles onto the green in celebration.
"We felt the chaos going on," Rahm said at the time. "I just thought it was best to not give it too much time. I didn't want to give the crowd too much time to think about throwing anything else.
"So even through my routine somebody threw a bottle and I just went up and hit it. The break is not going to change.
"I had the break pretty clear. Felt like the pace was something I was comfortable on. It was one of those things that luckily it went in and I got to enjoy that moment.”
It's iconic moments like last year and playing at iconic venues such as TPC Scottsdale, Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines that Rahm is sad to be missing out on after joining LIV Golf - but would like to be back there as soon as possible.
“I’m hoping that in the near future I can be back playing some of those events," Rahm said on Golf.com's 'Breakthrough'. "I would certainly love to go back and play some of them.
Rahm won his first tournament and then his first Major, the US Open, at Torrey Pines while went to college at Arizona State and still lives there so obviously has an affinity with the Phoenix Open.
“If there’s ever a way back and a way where we can play, even if it’s as an invite, I will take it. Like I said, there’s certain events that are special to me that I would still love to support.
“I’m not typically a person that’s going to regret any decisions. I made as educated a decision as I could get with the full support of the people around me and confident that it was the right thing for me.”
