Jon Rahm, the former world number one, responded to his detractors after the Spaniard won the LIV Golf League for the first time in the United Kingdom.
After taking down his first opponent on the breakaway tour, Jon Rahm claims he has never been bothered by the backlash against his decision to join LIV Golf.
At the 2023 Masters, Rahm won for the first time since donning the green jacket on Sunday at the JCB Golf & Country Club in Staffordshire.
Along with teammate Tyrrell Hatton, the Spaniard was tied at 13 under, but Hatton’s bogey on the last hole gave Rahm the advantage.
As soon as Rahm and his caddie, Adam Hayes, accepted the top prize of $4,000,000, they burst into tears.
When asked if he’s ever been worried about the noise, Rahm responded, “It never bothered me because I don’t think any of you guys [the media] would say something I wasn’t already thinking.”
“My worst enemy is myself. No, it really bothered me in that regard. The majority of it was that I hadn’t won in a long time and that, despite giving myself a chance, I hadn’t succeeded.
“I’m glad I did, because I tried to use it as motivation and told myself that if I ever found myself in that situation again, I would do everything in my power to take advantage of it.”
Rahm said that the absence of his two sons and wife Kelley Cahill was the main reason for the tears.
Before the 2024 Open Championship, the 20-year-old disclosed that Kelley’s pregnancy wasn’t the most straightforward.
Rahm continued, “I think that, for the most part, my play hasn’t really reflected how good I really felt about my game based on what I’ve read in the media.
“I thought I was playing well, and even though I wasn’t at my best in some of the weeks, I suppose finishing in the top 10 isn’t good enough anymore.
“I believe I took a lot of flak for two weeks about how I was really playing and feeling just because I didn’t do well at the Masters and the PGA.
“It makes me feel great to have won it and performed as well as I did over the weekend last week.
“I’m glad for it, but you almost always expect criticism when you’re in the spotlight. You practically need to use it as motivation for yourself.”
Rahm will now focus on competing for gold in the Olympic Games alongside David Puig.
With Xander Schauffele as the reigning winner.
Rahm was asked how winning two major championships would compare to winning an Olympic gold medal.
“At this time, I am unable to rank it according to majors or anything similar,” he stated.
“But you can usually tell on the 18th green how it feels, so if I finish it on Sunday, ask me that same question and I’ll be able to tell you.”
“There was always going to be some learning involved with this year.”
Hatton, Rahm’s teammate, was naturally dissatisfied after he mishandled the final green.
Hatton, who reportedly paid $60 million to join LIV in January, has already won his first game with the rival league in Nashville.
“I think the easiest thing to say because this year was always going to be a bit of a learning experience,” Hatton replied when asked to reflect on his first year with LIV.
entering a completely uncharted territory for us. We were obviously well acquainted with the conditions on the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour, and other circuits.
It’s been a fun year, in my opinion. We’ve had the good fortune to travel to some pretty amazing locations across the globe, play on some excellent golf courses, and have fun together.
“It had been such a long time since I had won as a professional, so for me to win in Nashville last month was a huge relief.”
“It was fun to play in a tournament that had a really good atmosphere,” he continued. “I think it was the best turnout attendance-wise for LIV in the U.S.”
“I predict that as time goes on, spectator attendance at tournaments will increase, fostering an enjoyable environment for us players to compete in.
Finally, that’s sort of what we want in the end. We are looking for a positive vibe, and this week’s crowds were excellent.
“It felt like there were a lot of people there, and I think the exciting thing is that it can get bigger and bigger. I’m not sure what the actual number was. Participating in it is enjoyable.”
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