Jon Rahm’s Defiant LIV Golf Move Helps PGA Tour Pro In Seeking Redemption

After a lot of speculation, the Spanish golfer announced his drastic move to LIV Golf. Following the move, Jon Rahm‘s PGA Tour membership was suspended by the Tour on account of his “association with a series of unauthorized tournaments.”  Though the $566 million proved to be an adversity for Rahm’s PGA Tour career, it helped another PGA Tour pro to improve his.

Jon Rahm’s defection becomes a beacon of hope for a PGAT pro

The 2023 Masters winner’s suspension led to some changes in the FedEx Cup standings, and as a result of those alterations, PGA Tour pro, Mackenzie Hughes sought a redemption that is huge for the upcoming season.

The Canadian professional golfer could not participate in the signature events of the PGA Tour in 2024 until now. However, after Rahm’s departure, Hughes has now jumped to the 50th position in the FedEx Cup standings and is now eligible to play in all the signature events of 2024, starting with The Sentry in January.

Before this, Hughes was in the 51st position in the FedEx Cup standings and could only participate in two $20 million events, not all. Now, the fans will get to see the Canadian star compete in all of the high-stakes events and go head-to-head with the top PGA Tour pros. The decision by Rahm proved to be beneficial for Hughes while ramping up his PGA Tour legacy. However, Hughes is not the only beneficiary of Rahm’s departure; other pros benefit as well.

Rahm’s departure aids Carl Yuan and others on the PGA Tour

With Mackenzie Hughes improving his rank on the FedExCup standings, many others did as well. Carl Yaun was one step away from securing the PGA Tour card via Q-School, but after the suspension, his rank stands at 125th, awarding him the Tour membership card for the entire 2024 season. Alex Smalley moved to the 60th position in the standings and is now eligible to compete in two signature events in 2024.

Read More: LIV Golf Will Not Pay Jon Rahm His $500M Contractual Money Now, Here’s Why

Paul Haley now has a conditional status as he has moved to the 150th spot in the rankings. Moreover, the Spaniard’s suspension could also affect Sahith Theegala. He finished 31st to narrowly miss the Tour Championship, but now his move to the 30th spot could make him eligible for the 2024 US Open.

Indeed, Jon Rahm’s one decision proved to be a boon to many of his compatriots. What are your thoughts on Rahm’s suspension and his move to LIV Golf?

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