Jon Rahm capped off a superb debut season individually on LIV Golf by clinching the LIV Golf Chicago title by three shots over both Joaquin Niemann and Sergio García.
Jon Rahm went into the final regular season event in a tussle with Joaquin Niemann for the individual title for the year, with the Spaniard not finishing outside the top 10 on LIV Golf since his stunning move from the PGA Tour in late 2023.
Niemann had set the early pace with two wins in the first three events, but Rahm’s consistency brought him back into the game. The 29-year-old also secured his first victory in the league with his win at LIV Golf UK.
Rahm would indeed get across the line at LIV Golf Chicago, with the two-time major champion leading by one over Sergio García heading into the final round. Niemann would do his best to make a charge, but his putter seemed to go cold at the worst possible time.
Jon Rahm says an underrated part of his game won him LIV Golf Chicago
Remarkably, Rahm would not make a single bogey across his final two rounds of the tournament. However, he clearly feels that the lack of blemishes on the scorecard are not exactly indicative of a flawless all-round game. Speaking in his press conference after his victory, Rahm suggested one part of his game may have surprised many on Sunday in the Windy City.
“Honestly, when we’ve played the practice rounds and knowing how firm it was going to be, I didn’t think that would be nearly a possibility,” he said.
“It’s a nice little stat to have, and really personally admire myself because very rarely am I praised for my short game, and I think my ball-striking can take away from that, and I can positively say that my short game definitely won me the tournament this week, some of the up-and-downs I made and even making some of those six-footers like the one on 12 and 11 kept the day going.
“I think the short game this week definitely has shined through.”
A point to prove in 2025
Rahm’s season is not over, with the year on LIV culminating in the team championship. Meanwhile, he also has events to play on the DP World Tour to ensure that he keeps his membership as he looks to make the Ryder Cup team for New York next year.
It has been a decent year for Rahm, and he will be delighted with the fact that he has won two tournaments and the league crown in his first year on LIV. But many will predominantly judge him by his performances in the majors – which were very underwhelming.
So in many ways, Rahm will be one of the players to really watch in 2025. His next target will be back competing in the majors as he has already climbed the mountain on LIV. Certainly, winning majors against the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele will only add to LIV’s credibility.
As things stand, a lot of neutrals will struggle to put his achievements this year into context with LIV still very much a work in progress.
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