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Paolo Uggetti, ESPN
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Defending Masters champion Jon Rahm hoped his move to leave the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League in December would expedite the process of bringing the sport back together.
“I understood my position, yes. And I understood that it could be a step toward some kind of an agreement,” Rahm said Tuesday at Augusta National. “Unfortunately, it’s not up to me.”
While the sport remains split and Rahm returns to the Masters with a “Legion XII” LIV team logo across his chest, the Spaniard has remained steadfast in his belief that he made the right decision in switching tours.
“I still did what I thought was best for myself,” Rahm said. “I’ve had a lot of fun playing in those events. It’s been fun to be part of a team.”
Since the advent of LIV in 2021, Rahm had been adamant and vocal about his distaste for the 54-hole format and repeatedly declared his loyalty to the PGA Tour. His departure, which was facilitated by a deal reported to be more than $350 million, was a shock to the golf world.
So far, Rahm has finished inside the top 10 at all five LIV events this season but has yet to win. The five tournaments are fewer than Rahm has played in previous years prior to the Masters, but the two-time major winner said it has not affected his preparation.
“If anything, I feel physically better than I did last year,” Rahm said. “I do feel fresh and ready for it.”
To hear Rahm talk about it, the different schedule is not as top of mind as missing out on some of his favorite PGA Tour events. The Scottsdale resident said Tuesday that he had to drive past the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale numerous times, seeing the stands and thinking of the fact that he wouldn’t be playing in this year’s Waste Management Open.
“Not being at Palm Springs, Torrey, Phoenix and L.A. wasn’t the easiest,” Rahm said. “I miss being out there, not only because I won but because I love it. … I still love the PGA Tour and I still hope that at some point I can compete there again.”
Even though this entire process has highlighted how much power he does not have in influencing the future of the sport, Rahm still longs for a reunited golf ecosystem. Still, he said he has embraced the team aspect of LIV, referring to it as one of the driving reasons for why there was appeal to leaving the PGA Tour.
While Rahm reiterated that the competition, pressure and level of golf has been the same for him on LIV even though the fields are smaller, he also still feels conflicted about the format. At LIV’s Miami event, Rahm expressed his desire for LIV to eventually move to 72-hole tournaments, and he has doubled down on the notion.
“When I start the tournament, I don’t think about how it’s three rounds,” Rahm said Tuesday. “That being said, four rounds is what I think favors a better winner and a better tournament.”
A year after his historic win, Rahm further highlighted what kind of impact the Masters victory had on his life, where everything from his schedule to what league he played for changed once he put on the green jacket.
“It wasn’t just the Masters. The fact that I was exempt for all majors for five years, that was a big factor,” Rahm said. “If I didn’t have as big of a year last year, I don’t think I could say convincingly that I would have left [for LIV].”
When asked how he felt his legacy might change following not just his Masters win but his departure to LIV, Rahm didn’t flinch.
“Will it change? Yeah. It’s a bit of a detour on my path,” Rahm said. “But change can be better.”