LIV Golf has been a rebel ever since its inception. And it was not without consequences. The pain points still prevail, from not being directly exempt from playing Majors to not getting OWGR points. In one of the interviews, Jon Rahm even pointed out how unfair it is for the players during his debut at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

“I think I’ve expressed my opinions on the World Ranking system before I joined LIV. But they told us — they told me early on, I think even before I signed in the early conversations, that they were not going to pursue those discussions to the same level because they knew where it was directed. I think at this point, to not give LIV World ranking points and the credibility it deserves I think is wrong,” he said. He added that even though they decided to take up LIV Golf’s contract, it is wrong to say that the players do not deserve their spot in the Majors.

Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley revealed on Wednesday that Torque GC captain Joaquín Niemann is among two players who have accepted invitations to compete in the 2025 Masters. Niemann’s inclusion brings the total number of LIV Golf players set to compete in the year’s first major, held April 10-13 at Augusta National, to 12.

Taking this into account, Rahm also added that players like Talor Gooch, who has three individual victories in the league, also deserve an invite. Even after last year’s mayhem? “I think there should be a way for us to qualify. And word ranking points, yeah, I think they need to figure something out because it’s not fair for anybody in that sense,” the Spaniard added.

But as it turns out, journalists Damon Hack and Eamon Lynch have anything but sympathies for the LIV Players. In an episode of Golf Today, they discussed the interview. “Well, if he’s got a gripe with the official word, ranking system, John Rahm should call out Greg Norman because there is no application before the official world golf rankings,” said Lynch. Eugenio Chacarra, the former LIV golfer called out the Saudi-funded league for giving false hopes of majors, and OWGR. Pretty much the opposite of Rahm’s POV!

In October 2023, after over a year of consideration, the Official World Golf Ranking denied LIV Golf’s application for world ranking points. Then LIV league officially withdrew its application, initially submitted in July 2022. This happened because LIV Golf was not ready to abide by the guidelines of the World Golf Ranking.

Especially the relegation system. Take Bubba Watson’s case for this season. “So if there’s a misleading narrative that has been cast here, it wasn’t cast from the Official World Ranking System; it was cast by LIV Golf. He’s right in the sense that people who play well ought to have access to majors, but that’s a decision for the major championships. That’s not a decision for the World Golf Ranking,” he said.

He even added how Joaquin Niemann has played well outside the LIV Circuit. In 2024, he played in five DP World Tournaments and ranked in the top 25 in all of them. He also was in the top 10 at the Paris Olympics and was a part of the field of all the majors except the US Open. And well, Augusta National had made it very clear that LIV golfers will also have equal opportunities, as long as they continue to excel in places apart from LIV Golf.

Gooch, on the other hand, only played at the PGA Championship, where he finished T60. He was also part of only one DP World Tour event. He missed the cut at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. “Anyone who plays on live has every opportunity to play elsewhere to make a case for themselves, but they don’t want to do that. They just simply want to imagine that the rules are for others and not for them,” Rahm concluded. And well, as for the 2023 Masters winner, who knows where he is headed?

Damon Hack goes back to Jon Rahm’s golden days

Jon Rahm had an exceptional career before he agreed to join LIV Golf back in December 2023. Jon Rahm played with Tim Mickelson as his college golf coach at Arizona State University. Mickelson also briefly represented Rahm as his agent after the latter turned pro in 2016. He was playing on the Tour since then until he jumped the ship.

Rahm has had eleven victories in just eight seasons including two major victories: the 2021 US Open and the 2023 Masters. He seemed to enjoy his time on the American Tour, and his decision to shift brought down the gold world in tatters. “What a gut punch it was to the game, I believe, especially considering, you know, the style of play that he brought the energy,” said Hack. Ever since he moved to LIV Golf, he has been doing great in the league, but not so much in the majors.

He entered the Masters as a defending champion last year, finished T45, and missed the cut at the PGA Championship. “And I almost feel like he’s been deprived of that somewhere in the reaches of his soul, and I think that’s why we haven’t seen the results that we saw,” added Hack.

But Rahm surely has not gotten all rusty from joining the league. After all, let’s not forget his exceptional T5 finish at the Men’s Olympics this year. What are your thoughts on the Spaniard? Let us know in the comments section below!