Jon Rahm has hit back at critics of LIV Golf, insisting they jump to conclusions too quickly. This comes after the ex-world No. 1 clinched the individual champion title for the Saudi-backed series in 2024.
Rahm made a splash in his first season with LIV Golf by grabbing the Chicago prize, crowning him as the top player of the season. His win has not only added $4 million to his bank balance but also bagged an additional whopping $18 million for topping the league over the year.
The Spanish golfer's switch to LIV at the close of 2023 marked a seismic shift, with Rahm ditching the PGA Tour for a mind-blowing $600 million deal to join the likes of Phil Mickelson on the LIV team.
While some have openly doubted the wisdom of this pivot, with whispers that he had second thoughts after leaving the PGA Tour whispers fueled by a Golf Digest story this summer Rahm was quick to dismiss these rumblings post his victory in Windy City.
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"For anybody out there that's wondering, it is a little bit different experience than any other Tour out there, but it is closer experience to pretty much any other sport out there," boasted Rahm on Sunday. "I think this league has gotten a lot of -- quite a bit of a bad rap without people having experienced it.
"They've been too quick to judge. I think the vast majority of them would absolutely love spending a day out here. Most people that don't like the music, the second they come, they get over it. It's part of the atmosphere like in many other sports, and as a player and as a family man, it's been a fantastic experience for myself and my family the times that they've been able to come."
Rahm spoke after clinching his title victory, which went down to the wire, having ardently pursued former frontrunner Joaquin Niemann throughout the season to set up an exhilarating conclusion at Bolingbrook.
Joaquin Niemann almost snatched the final regular-season event, settling for second place and missing out on top spot by just three shots. Rahm, celebrating his rival's contribution to the riveting season end, commented: "Yeah. I mean, you can't really script it that much better, right?
"I think it would have been very underwhelming if me and Joaco finished 21st and 22nd, so the fact that we both came out and we played good and you have that story to tell and it comes down to basically the last few holes, I think it's also more exciting for whoever wins, but it's a lot more exciting."
Rahm's LIV campaign is far from over though. The former Masters winner will be hoping to swoop the double this week, as his Legion XIII squad heads into this week's Team Championship as the No. 2 seed in Dallas.
