The contest at the Augusta Nationals in 2024 was a mountain climb! Scenes at the Royal Troon Golf Club were also quite challenging. The only place where Jon Rahm truly failed to show up was the 2024 PGA Championship. And yet, he was at the receiving end of a lot of criticism for failing to grab another major last year. After all, fans expect a player with the caliber of Rahm to be able to produce great results consistently.

To be honest, he did do that in LIV Golf. The Spaniard dominated his first season in the Saudi-based promotion winning the individual season title by the end of 2024. So why was he unable to replicate that performance in the major events last year? That is what his life coach explained during a recent interview.

Jon Rahm’s big life change

Jon Rahm is undoubtedly one of the best golfers in the world. If he was still on the PGA Tour, then he would have put Scottie Scheffler’s excellent run under threat. Such is the potential of the Spanish swinger. But Rahm’s decision to join LIV Golf really left a sour taste in the mouth of the PGA Tour loyalist. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that fans blamed LIV Golf for his failures. Many believed that the lack of competition in the PIF-funded circuit had made Rahm weaker.

Dr. Bhrett McCabe joined the Dan on Golf podcast on YouTube to defend Rahm’s situation in the Saudi-based league. The conversation started off with Dan Rapaport asking the doctor how challenging it was to manage Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf. To that, McCabe shared the dynamic between him and the pro golfer, stating that he has treated more than a “Life coach” than an advisor on the course. He explains that Rahm has adapted to the change quite well and doesn’t warrant the community questioning if he regrets his decision. In fact, Steve Stricker even stated that Rahm would “give the money back to the Saudis” if he could return to the PGA Tour.

But Rahm’s “life coach” believes “when players are given generational wealth for their families,” they tend to find a way to adjust. But McCabe clarified that Rahm “is still performing at the top,” which was evident by his individual performance in 2024. He even went on to defend Rahm’s failures in the majors last year. The doctor confirmed that Rahm withdrew from the U.S. Open as the “infection on his foot was nasty.” “Augusta, it’s very hard to defend there,” stated McCabe, which every golf fan will agree with. Only Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods have won back-to-back Masters Tournaments. While he didn’t mention it, Rahm managed to finish at T7 in the Open Championship. However, his biggest failure was the 2024 PGA Championship, where he missed the cut.

McCabe stated that not many can consistently perform in the majors, it doesn’t matter where they train. He believes that fans will see that Jon Rahm can still beat the best once the merger is completed. Bhrett McCabe also stated how Rahm always surrounds himself with winners while mentioning Michael Phelps, J.J. Watt, and Larry Fitzgerald Jr. He also credited the Spaniard’s wife, who is incredible support for him, before concluding with how Rahm is leading the right balance in life to maintain a winning mentality.

It’s great to see that Jon Rahm is building an environment of winners. But will that be enough to help him bag a major again? Let’s see what more he will need to do.

Aiming to win more majors in 2025

There is no question that Jon Rahm would be eager to capture another major title in 2025. And he is putting in a valiant effort in his social and personal life to get into that zone. But Rahm will need to put in a lot more effort than just building the desire to win a major event.

Realistically, Rahm will need to level up his performance wherever he can. The first major event of the year, the 2025 Masters Tournament is just over a month and a few weeks away. The Spaniard will have to build confidence and find his best form to win at the Augusta Nationals again. He will have three LIV Golf events to play before the green jacket event. LIV Golf Hong Kong is the next tournament in the lineup from March 7-9, 2025. Then, he goes to LIV Golf Singapore the week after. One of the biggest rounds of the season, LIV Golf Miami is just a week before the Masters Tournament from April 4-6.

If Rahm wants to really get into the winning mentality, he will need to win at least one of the three tournaments. He didn’t win at either of the venues in 2024. His best performance was at LIV Golf Miami, where he finished at T4. Fortunately, 2025 LIV Golf Miami is the perfect event for Rahm to grab a win to get the boost of confidence he needs to challenge Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Co. for the Masters Tournament. Interestingly, one of his biggest challengers in the major event will be his Legion XIII teammate, Tyrrell Hatton. Hatton has been laser-focused on winning as often as he can as well to qualify for the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Do you think Jon Rahm will be able to overcome the odds and win a major tournament in 2025? Share your views in the comments section.