Jon Rahm, the reigning Masters champion, is not the only LIV Golf rebel competing this weekend; he is returning to the Masters without being a member of the PGA Tour.
On Monday, Jon Rahm arrived at Augusta National sporting his Legion XIII hat, which prominently featured the LIV Golf logo on the side.
The Spaniard hit irons on the range and played a few practice holes with the two logos in full view, obviously not afraid to annoy any PGA Tour spectators. None of the players for LIV Golf wore clothing bearing the official logo of the company during the Masters last year.
Nonetheless, Phil Mickelson did sport a cap and shirt with the HyFlyers logo of his team prominently displayed. Following a meeting before the 2023 competition, the LIV rebels decided to remove their branding from their clothing and bags out of respect.
Even last year’s Open champion Cameron Smith joked about packing an extra set of clothes for Georgia. “This week, I’m going to make another set of clothes without the team logos,” he declared. Regarding the logos, Augusta National hasn’t really said anything to us. Personally, I’m really proud of my situation and my work. I’ll wear it unless it causes trouble for these guys.”
But this year, that is not the case. In addition to Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau was also seen at the driving range sporting a Crushers golf bag and wearing his team’s cap.
Mickelson wore his HyFlyers hat during practice on Monday, as is customary. Conversely, Nike and TaylorMade hats were worn by Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson.
This is LIV’s most audacious performance at the Masters to date, and it represents the path the company has taken since its founding and the contentious merger. The PGA Tour was particularly harmed by Rahm’s defection to LIV, given that the organization celebrated his victory at the Masters last year.
Rahm has acknowledged that the merger negotiations between the two organizations may have accelerated as a result of his departure; a meeting was held in the Bahamas recently. Chief PGA Officer Jay Monahan called the discussions “constructive,” but he didn’t provide much context.
But Rahm said to BBC Sport about the effect of his departure: “That’s a well-thought-out argument.” In that sense, I might be the beginning of a tipping point,” Rahm remarked. “I was aware of the potential consequences and weight of [my] choice. That was something I fully understood, which is why choosing wasn’t simple.
“There might be some slight unrest in the equilibrium of golf. Luckily, I’ve accomplished a lot in my career and become well-known in the golf world, particularly in the past year. Few active players could have had a greater influence than me in that regard. I was aware of the situation I was in, not to give myself too much credit.”
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