Greg Norman’s Devastating Ordeal Gets Worse as Jon Rahm & Co Land Heavy Blows Ahead of Pinehurst Showdown

The US Open is only days away, commencing on June 13th at Pinehurst No. 2. However, the latest proceedings regarding LIV Golf are making the industry question their position in the upcoming major of the season. With PGA Tour authorities banning LIV golfers from the DP World Tour, the air was sour with a visible division in the golf community, and now that another major tournament is knocking at the door, many are speculating about LIV golfers’ chances at the US Open due to the following instances.

Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Master’s Tournament winner, played the US Open’s final qualifiers at the Dallas Athletic Club. He started tied for the second position at the end of the first round, by the final round, Garcia was tied with six other players. He missed a spot after hitting a bogey and ended up being the first alternate. However, he got a spot in the US Open owing to the USGA’s six kept spots for late exceptions as a third choice after Adam Scott and Rob MacIntyre.

The uncertainty continued to loom over Greg Norman’s LIV golf as Patrick Reed missed the chance to be in the US Open after teeing up for 41 consecutive majors since 2013. Patrick Reed’s final qualifier was scheduled with Sergio Garcia on May 20th. However, the day coincided right after the conclusion of the PGA Championship at Valhalla. Hence, Reed decided to withdraw to avoid the physical and mental hurdles it would have cost him.

It is not only Patrick Reed’s absence that is gnawing at the LIV Golf community. The star player, Jon Rahm’s foot infection and his subsequent withdrawal from LIV Golf Houston are another component of concern to the golf community before the US Open this season. From the very first round at LIV Golf Houston, Rahm was seen limping, and by the sixth hole in the second round, he withdrew.

According to the BBC, “It has been reported that Rahm has sustained a cut between two of his toes.” Although no update on his foot situation has been made public yet, the chances of LIV Golfer’s shining performance at this major went a little more bleak.

Norman League’s back-to-back failures are also traced to Cameron Smith’s performance in his latest event at LIV Golf Houston. Cameron was easily one of LIV Golf’s safest bets at the US Open based on his previous performances in other majors. At the PGA Championship, Smith scored 3-under par; although he finished T63, in his Master’s appearance, he was in the top 10, ranking at T6. However, Houston saw Cameron Smith among the last few names on the list last week. With an 8-over par in his last round, he finished at T48 with an overall score of 4 over par.

Moreover, after some fans pointed toward the poor performance portrayed by some of the renowned LIV golfers in the first two majors of 2024, many are questioning the consequences at the US Open this week as well. To get a better idea, let us explore how the LIV golfers fared in the PGA Championship and the Masters 2024.

LIV Golfer Performance at the Other Majors of 2024

In the first major, the 2024 Masters, 13 LIV golfers tried their hand at the shots at Augusta. However, out of the 13, only three LIV golfers made the score go under par, and they remained in the top 10, with Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith sharing the T6 position. On the other hand, Jon Rahm went nine-over-par and finished at T45. Dustin Johnson, Adrian Meronk, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel, and Sergio Garcia missed the cut, continuing the strand of disappointment among the LIV Golf fans.

The scene at Valhalla during the PGA Championship was not much different. 16 LIV golfers descended on the greens, and five missed the cut yet another time. Along with Andy Ogletree, David Puig, and Adrian Meronk, Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm also wrote their names on that list. With so many famous and able LIV golfers not performing well in the previous two majors, the approaching US Open might appear daunting to Greg Norman’s chosen players.

With so many things going against LIV Golf at the moment, do you think they stand a chance to turn the table at the 2024 US Open? Let us know in the comments below.