Jon Rahm: Stop blaming LIV Golf for my major struggles

Jon Rahm has urged people to stop blaming LIV Golf for his poor performances in the major championships after he joined the breakaway tour. 

Rahm controversially quit the PGA Tour for the rival league in December 2023 but ever since has faced accusations his game has not been up to scratch in the four men's majors. 

The Spaniard, who turned 32 on Monday, is now pursuing a return to the PGA Tour after LIV Golf confirmed its intention to wind down its operations after entering into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the United States. 

Rahm, who returned to the winner's circle last Sunday at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, has two majors to his name but had just one top five finish to his name in the big four during his stint with LIV. 

"We've got to stop blaming LIV for me playing poorly at the majors," Rahm told reporters ahead of the DP World Tour's season finale in Dubai when asked if he felt he was at the beginning of a golden era in his career.

Rahm said in the immediate aftermath of his victory on Sunday that he believed he had "turned a page" after enduring a difficult period after his exit from LIV was confirmed. 

"I know what you are all trying to insinuate," he added; 

"It's not because of LIV. It's my own [issues]. 

"Because I did have a chance to win the PGA [Championship] the last two years we played it, right? It's my own doing and my own, let's say, golf swing problems.

"That's what I was alluding, that when you are not playing a big event, it's a lot easier to manage certain things. [The] golf courses usually are easier, so you can manage them that way.

"So I hope that what I'm working on recently can be something that makes me more consistent on the biggest stages, yeah."

He added: "I've played really good golf this year. 

"It's just that unfortunately some of my not-so-good weeks happen to be in the majors, right. 

"Besides the PGA where I had a decent chance of winning, the other three majors, I didn't do a good enough job.

"Overall really good, but those tournaments matter so much to all of us that, you know, kicking myself a little bit over that."

Jon Rahm disagrees with Rory McIlroy over golf ball rollback

Rahm was also asked for his opinion on the golf ball rollback. 

Before the 2026 U.S. Open, the R&A and USGA announced that plans to limit how far golf balls can fly in the professional game have been put on hold until 2030 because there remains a lack of consensus among the game's stakeholders. 

Other options, such as bifurcation, are back on the table. 

McIlroy, who sent a stern warning to Bryson DeChambeau after the American was offered a full exemption on the DP World Tour in 2027, told reporters in his pre-tournament news conference that he's in favour of doing "everything and anything to curb where we are". 

"I think if we can just get a little bit more skill and shot-making back into the game, I think that would be better for everyone," said McIlroy, who also offered his take on Frank Kennedy's disqualification from DP World Tour qualifying school.  

"I think it would separate the best players from each other, and I think it would make the game more entertaining to watch."

Rahm acknowledged it is a "tricky situation".

But he added: "It could also be something to entertain to change or limit clubs or the golf ball, but I'm not a proponent of that. 

"I think there's so much freedom in design in golf that you could make golf courses that are anti-distance."

What did Rory McIlroy say?

McIlroy, one of the PGA Tour's biggest hitters, said: "I'm in favour of doing anything and everything to sort of curb where we are at. 

"Ball, club, I think the equipment at the top level needs to be regulated better than where it is right now. 

"I guess distance is a big issue in the game at the top level because it maybe negates other skills that were more prevalent in golf 20 or 30 years ago. 

"I'm sort of the poster child for this, right?  I drove it on a couple of greens last week. 

"You could argue that rolling it back for me is not beneficial or not advantageous, but the longest guys are still going to be longest guys. 

"And I think if we can just get a little bit more skill and shot-making back into the game, I think that would be better for everyone. 

"I think it would separate the best players from each other, and I think it would make the game more entertaining to watch."