Due to Jon Rahm’s December 2020 defection to LIV Golf, he will not be able to defend his 2020 title this weekend at the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament.
Although Jon Rahm is currently concentrating on LIV Golf Houston, there’s a chance that the Spaniard is hankering after the opportunity to defend his tournament title at the Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour.
Rahm finished 9-under at Muirfield Village Golf Club in July 2020, to win the Memorial Tournament. The 29-year-old, however, is no longer eligible to participate in the event or any other PGA Tour competition after defecting to LIV Golf.
Rahm acknowledged in March that he does miss the chance to defend a number of his previous championships. Mark Schlabach of ESPN reported that Rahm stated, “For everyone who said this would be easy, some things have been, but not being able to defend some titles that mean a lot to me hasn’t.”
Rahm seemed to be headed for back-to-back victories in Dublin, Ohio, having won the Memorial Tournament the previous year. But after testing positive for COVID-19 in the third round, when he was leading the field by six strokes, he was forced to withdraw from the competition.
“Having to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament saddens me greatly. In an official statement at the time, he said, “This is one of those things that happens in life, one of those moments where how we respond to a setback defines us as people.”
When Rahm will be able to participate in the Memorial Tournament again is a question that has yet to be answered. He was prohibited from participating on the PGA Tour after joining LIV in December of last year. Rahm, however, has received a free pass to Augusta National as well as five-year exemptions into the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and Open Championship because of his victory at the 2023 Masters.
Rahm had a successful 2023 season, winning the Augusta Masters, the American Express in Palm Springs, the Genesis Invitational in Riviera, and the PGA Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. Rahm was not allowed to play in the next three tournaments, but he was allowed to compete at the Masters.
“I adore Palm Springs. There, I’ve managed to triumph twice. Riviera is among our most captivating golf courses. It was hard not to be there,” Rahm remarked. “I enjoy watching golf, so I continue to do so. However, it’s challenging. It was difficult to miss both Hawaii and the Phoenix Open at the end of February.”
Rahm received a reported £450 million ($566.4 million) to join Legion XIII on LIV Golf, but other than that, he seems to be having a good time. He has made £4,025,303 ($5,095,321) through the first seven tournaments of the season, which ranks him eighth among all players in the Saudi-backed league in terms of earnings.
