If Jon Rahm had pulled off a win at the 2025 PGA Championship, he’d be staring down history just one title shy of completing the elusive career Grand Slam. With a Masters win in 2023 and the 2021 U.S. Open under his belt, the PGA Championship looked like his for the taking. But his luck had other plans. What started as a strong, confident round slowly turned over the final few holes, leaving Rahm just short of proving himself to the world.
He opened strong with a 68 in Round 1, proving his game still has it, unlike some people believe. Critics seem to think that ever since his move to LIV, Rahm has not been able to put impressive show at the majors. In Round 2, a sharp 66 vaulted him into serious contention, and a steady 69 on Saturday had him just a couple of shots off the lead heading into Sunday. Then on the final day, he started the final round pretty well, playing near-flawless golf through the first 15 holes. But then came the disappointing tee shots that didn’t cut, the wind that didn’t cooperate, and a few missed decisions down the stretch. A bogey on the 16th and a couple of late double bogeys on the last two holes turned what looked like a winning run into a painful miss.
When asked about how he is planning to heal from the tough loss, Rahm unloaded a lot of emotional stuff. “I think it’s the first time I’ve been in position to win a major that close and haven’t done it. The only times I think I’ve been in the lead in a major on a Sunday, I’ve been able to close it out, and this is a very different situation,” Rahm said in a post-event presser after finishing at T8 at Quail Hollow. Talking about the actual healing, he shared his full proof mantra: Family.
“But if it’s ever a time, that’s what family’s for is the best. Luckily I’m going to get home maybe on time to get the kids to bed or not, I’m not sure. To them, whatever I did today, win or lose, they don’t care. So that’s always a good perspective,” said Rahm. The golfer married Kelley Cahill in 2019. They now have three kids: 2 sons, Kepa and Eneko (𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in 2021 and 2022), and a beautiful daughter, Alaia, who he welcomed in September 2024. At this year’s Masters, too, Rahm credited his happy life at home for having good mental health. However, Rahm’s answer didn’t end here.
“I always like to go back a little bit on something that Charles Barkley likes to remind basketball players all the time. Like, I play golf for a living. It’s incredible. Am I embarrassed a little bit about how I finished today? Yeah. But I just need to get over it, get over myself. It’s not the end of the world. It’s not like I’m a doctor or a first responder, where somebody if they have a bad day, truly bad things happen. I’ll get over it. I’ll move on. Again, there’s a lot more positive than negative to think about this week. I’m really happy I put myself in position and hopefully learn from this and give it another go in the U.S. Open,” said the LIV golfer about his plans of moving on from the loss. He will now eye the US Open, taking place from June 12-15 at Oakmont.
However, it didn’t take long for Rahm to realize that his answer had become a rant. To which he apologized, saying, “Sorry for the long answers. I’m trying to process things right now.”
Rahm is working through a horrendous heartbreak, still bearing the weight of what could’ve been. But people believe that Rahm’s major s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s have gone downhill since his move to LIV. Is that the truth, though?
Is LIV Golf Behind Jon Rahm’s Struggles with Major Tournaments?
Jon Rahm’s transition to LIV Golf in late 2023 was met with both anticipation and skepticism at the same time. And just like that, he quickly became a standout in LIV, where he won twice and consistently finished in the top 10. In the 2024 majors, Rahm’s record was less than stellar: a tie for 45th at the Masters, a missed cut at the PGA Championship, and a tie for 7th at The Open Championship. Came 2025, he finished 14th at Augusta. This has led to fans questioning. Why is this happening? Is the paycheck or tournament structure the issue?
According to Rahm, the real issue lies in his swing and rhythm, as he revealed, “My going to LIV and playing worse in majors had nothing to do with where I was playing golf. My swing was simply not at the level it had to be for me to compete. It’s easier to post a score on non-major championship courses and venues, and I think when you get to the biggest stages like this one and these courses, those flaws are going to get exposed, and it did.”
It won’t be long before we find out if he can regain his momentum at the 2025 U.S. Open, scheduled for June 12–15 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, which will be a true test of his comeback; we’ll see.
