Following his tie for seventh place in the recent British Open at Troon, Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner, pondered extensively on strategies to improve his chances of winning an Open on a links course. As he prepared for LIV Golf’s U.K. tournament in the Midlands of England, he contemplated proposing the concept of hosting a links event before upcoming Opens to LIV’s management.
Rahm expressed his optimism, stating, “I am advocating for it.” He shared with Golf Digest at JCB Golf & Country Club on Tuesday. Rahm emphasized the importance of adapting to links golf, highlighting the challenges of adjusting to the greens and the ball’s behavior on the ground. Reflecting on his experience after Troon, he acknowledged the undeniable benefits of playing on a links golf course in preparation for the Open.
PGA Tour and DP World Tour players have the chance to participate in the Genesis Scottish Open prior to the British Open, should they decide to do so.
Rahm, 29, admitted that a golf tournament will not take place in 2025, but expressed interest in considering the idea for LIV’s upcoming events.
Clearly, LIV management has established contracts with certain venues and has future plans in place,” he mentioned. “It’s not a simple task to just decide, ‘Let’s go ahead with this.’ However, I am interested in discussing this with other players [on LIV] as there is strength in unity if five, six, or 10 skilled players all support it. I believe many individuals would be in favor of it.”
The LIV golfers’ preparation for the U.K. major could only benefit from the event held at Valderrama in Spain the week before Troon, which provided a unique challenge. Despite this, LIV players performed well, with 11 out of 18 making the cut. Rahm, John Catlin (T-16, two over), and Dean Burmester (T-19, three over) even finished in the top 10.
It is being considered whether the 54-hole league could host a tournament from 2026 onwards, if LIV thought it was feasible. With the Scottish Open taking place the week before the Open, and LIV Golf already having an annual tournament in England, the only viable options seem to be Ireland or Wales. There appears to be a greater opportunity for LIV in Ireland, as the DP World Tour’s Irish Open does not always take place on links layouts. Although it will be held at the renowned Royal County Down in Northern Ireland in September this year, it has been four years since the championship was held on a links. The past four Irish Opens have been hosted at The K Club, Mount Juliet, and Galgorm Castle – all of which are lush, green parkland resort courses.
Ireland holds a special place in Rahm’s heart, having won the Irish Open twice on links courses.
He expressed his enthusiasm for the idea of a LIV event taking place in the Emerald Isle, stating that he always feels at home in Ireland. Rahm mentioned that some of his most enjoyable rounds of golf have been played in Ireland, praising the great venues available. He concluded by saying that if the opportunity arose for LIV Golf to host an event in Ireland, it would be truly fantastic.
Rahm is determined to secure victory in an Open Championship. In addition to the clear benefits such an achievement would bring – marking his third major title and placing him just one PGA Championship win away from completing the career grand slam – there is a deeper emotional motivation at play.
“I am eager to claim victory in the Open, and many Spanish individuals are rooting for me to succeed as no [Spaniard] has managed to do so since Seve,” he expressed.
It’s quite surprising that no Spaniard has won the Open since Ballesteros won in 1988. Our Spanish players, like Ollie and Sergio, have shown their skills on links golf courses, with Ollie winning the Irish Open in 1990 and Sergio having success at the Boys Amateur Championship and as a runner-up at the Open Championship.
Rahm, the winner of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and last year’s Masters, has been showing signs of being a strong contender for winning the claret jug. He finished T-11 at Portrush in 2019, T-3 and four shots behind Collin Morikawa at Royal St George’s in 2021, had a surprisingly lackluster performance during a T-34 at St. Andrews in 2022, and came in T2 behind Brian Harman at Royal Liverpool last year. He also finished T7 at Troon last week.
He expressed his excitement for links golf and the Open, mentioning his eagerness to improve his chances.
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