Perhaps the biggest surprise from The Masters was how poorly both Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau performed, with neither player coming close to contending at Augusta National.
Heading into the first major of the year, it seemed inevitable that Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm would be among the favourites to win The Masters and have Rory McIlroy present them with the Green Jacket.
The pair had won the previous three LIV Golf events between them. Meanwhile, Rahm won at Augusta National back in 2023, while DeChambeau had been at least tied for the lead at some stage in each of the previous two Masters.
However, DeChambeau did not even manage to make the cut. Rahm finished early on Sunday having gone into the final round at five over par.
Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau must now issue LIV Golf with an ultimatum
LIV Golf will be feeling the pressure. Their top two players could not have done more in their events to make a statement ahead of The Masters. And yet, the only LIV player in the top 30 at Augusta National was Tyrrell Hatton.
Any notion that LIV switching to 72-hole events could be a game-changer surprisingly has to be dismissed at this point.
Rightly or wrongly, questions are once again being asked about whether the LIV schedule does help players properly prepare to take on the PGA Tour‘s best at the majors.
With that, DeChambeau and Rahm surely now need to issue LIV with an ultimatum.
The league has to take their events to more appropriate courses or be prepared to lose its two biggest stars.
Of course, DeChambeau may be content to continue on his current path. He is one of the biggest stars in the game, and is threatening to break into the mainstream. So the opportunities LIV provide may suit him.
But if either player is still motivated by the history of the game – Rahm would argue that he certainly is – then they need to be tested properly when they are competing.
Four of the five LIV events this year have been won by a score better than 20 under par. Meanwhile, the average winning score on the PGA Tour is a fraction below 18 under par.
That includes Scottie Scheffler’s 27 under par total at The American Express and Justin Rose winning by seven at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Even LIV’s biggest fans would struggle to pick any notable features about the course played in Riyadh. Meanwhile, the venue at Steyn City seemed to ask few of the same questions that players could expect at Augusta National.
Playing Doral just the week before The Masters was perhaps not the right answer last year either. But that was a golf course that simply does not allow players to relax.
It should come as no surprise therefore, that Patrick Reed, DeChambeau, Hatton, Rahm, and Bubba Watson all finished inside the top 15 at Augusta National 12 months ago.
LIV Golf’s scheduling is back under the microscope after a dismal Masters showing
In the three years before Rahm left the PGA Tour for LIV, his average finishing position in the majors was 16.75. That also included two victories.
Since then, that average has gone up to 21.85 for the occasions when he has played all four rounds. He also missed the cut at the 2024 PGA Championship.
LIV players have won majors before. It looked entirely possible that either Rahm or DeChambeau would clinch last year’s PGA Championship before Scottie Scheffler steadied himself.
But they are contending nowhere near often enough. And the golf courses that they play in each LIV event have to be looked at as one of the potential reasons.
If they are going to continue to play a shorter schedule, then Rahm and DeChambeau simply have to make it clear that the days of visiting such forgettable venues are gone – or they will be.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
