What went wrong for Jon Rahm at the 2023 Open Championship? Can LIV Golf erase those mistakes?

It was a brilliant Saturday round at the 2023 Open Championship. The misty afternoon of the third round badly required a boost and it came in the form of Jon Rahm. The Spaniard carded a flawless 63 as he set a course record at Hoylake. What he didn’t know was that, the following day, Brian Harman would turn up to secure victory. And since then, it hasn’t been the same for the golfer.

The past season so far has been a rollercoaster ride for Rahm. The golfer emerged victorious at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions, the American Express, the Genesis Invitational and the Masters. However, the Spaniard has failed to win even once since then and has even jumped to the Greg Norman-led circuit. Meanwhile, fans can’t help but wonder if everything worked out for the athlete.

Jon Rahm’s 2023 Open Championship and what came next

At the Royal Liverpool, Rahm had achieved a 7-under 277 thanks to figures of 74-70-63-70 after four days of play. He did so by sharing a total of 16 birdies and 9 bogeys in the four rounds. Regardless of his position, he could only manage second place alongside three other golfers: Tom Kim, Jason Day and Sepp Straka. A year later, many things have changed, but that has not prevented the athlete from looking back and evaluating his performance.

“Last year, starting with the Masters, I really didn’t play at my best,” said a disappointed Rahm ahead of the next major at Royal Troon. “I didn’t feel at my best until the Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup was the only thing that resembled the first half of the year. This year, the first half hasn’t been the best.” The 29-year-old could only finish a dismal T45 at the 2024 Masters, while he failed to make the cut at the PGA Championship that followed shortly after.

Interestingly, the same was not true for his performance at LIV Golf. Out of 10 starts, Rahm finished inside the top 10 nine times, the last of which he had to withdraw from due to an infection in Houston. But at the same time, it remains a stark contrast compared to the performance the pro offered in 2023.

The Spanish pro had finished a total of 10 times inside the top 10 on the PGA Tour last year. His streak included two runner-up finishes and a third place in 20 starts, not to mention the four wins he managed. But the numbers only seem to act as a temporary sense of relief for the golfer who has not recorded a victory since the 2023 Masters, either on the PGA Tour or at LIV Golf.

Can LIV Golf be the solution to your problems?

While Rahm has noticed his performances slipping at majors, he has not completely given up hope. The golfer was optimistic ahead of the Open Championship at Royal Troon when he said: “In Nashville and last week (Spain), I felt closer to getting to a higher level of golf where maybe I don’t have to think about my process as much. Maybe I’m playing a little bit more freely and seeing the ball flight I want to see more often.” The athlete had finished T4 and T10 in Nashville and Spain, respectively.

Jon Rahm was also hoping to regain the momentum he had shown earlier in 2023. “Yes, I’m getting much closer to what I could have been at the beginning of last year.” The two-time Grand Slam champion added. He even pointed out how a single moment can change the whole situation as he said positively: “I know that in a moment, a blow or a day, everything can change and you can start a streak of good weeks.” But will the golfer be able to take advantage of this opportunity? That remains to be seen!