Jon Rahm wishes Patrick Reed ‘nothing but the best’ after LIV departure
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American Patrick Reed in action during the Masters Tournament in the US on April 13, 2025. The American has since announced his departure from LIV and plans to return to the PGA Tour later in 2026.
PHOTO: REUTERS
RIYADH – As the league’s two-time defending individual champion, Jon Rahm has quickly become the face of LIV Golf.
That makes the Spaniard’s opinion on the uncertain state of LIV a valuable one as the tour kicks off its 2026 season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb 4.
Brooks Koepka sent shockwaves when he left LIV last December and made his PGA Tour return at the Jan 29-Feb 1 Farmers Insurance Open
The PGA Tour had announced a “returning member” programme, the criteria of which made only four players eligible for immediate reinstatement: Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm.
Instead, Rahm elected to stick with LIV for a third season as the captain of defending team champions Legion XIII, but he admitted he does not hold any ill will towards Reed for his decision.
“I think each one is going to do whatever he thinks is best for them. At this point, I just wish him nothing but the best of luck. Hopefully it all goes well,” Rahm said when asked about Reed’s decision on Feb 2.
“We’re free to choose where we want to play golf. At least that’s how it should be. And he’s made his choice. Nothing really against him. He’s been playing fantastic golf, and if he wants to go back, he should have the chance to do so.”
This week’s event in Riyadh also marks the beginning of a new era for LIV, which will move from 54-hole events to the more traditional 72 holes.
The hope is that this change will allow for LIV events to begin counting for points in the Official Golf World Ranking (OWGR) – they have not counted since the league’s launch in 2022.
A decision on that front is reportedly expected soon from OWGR’s board, potentially paving an easier path for LIV golfers to qualify for Major championships.
Rahm, a two-time Major champion, sees the change as a positive.
“I’m happy about it. I would say I was one of the people that pushed for it. So obviously I’m happy about it,” he said.
“I think the more golf we play, the better for stronger teams and stronger players, and I think it will benefit us four individuals and as a team.”
Another potential LIV change sees the league pushing for Europe’s DP World Tour to stop fining competitors for missing events due to conflicts with LIV events.
That is affecting Rahm more than others, as he said recently that he has been fined approximately US$3 million (S$3.8 million) for missing DP events since joining LIV ahead of the 2024 season.
“I don’t know what it may be or what it’s going to look like, but I’m happy to see a path forward for LIV players to be able to play on both tours and not to get penalised,” he added.
“The fact that they’re looking at a positive way to figure it out, I think it’s only good for us, and I think it’s good for the DP World Tour as well.” REUTERS
