Xander Schauffele Ready to Dethrone Patrick Cantlay, but the Real Danger Lies for Jon Rahm Even Before His LIV Debut

Golf has witnessed a lot over the past half-year! From Jon Rahm‘s defection to Tiger Woods‘s split with Nike, the community has been very lively. But even so, if there’s one thing that has not changed over the last six months, it’s Xander Schauffele and his position on the OWGR. Well, even that is set to see development soon.

Nevertheless, what may be happy for one person might not turn out to be the best for another. As the 30-year-old finally faces a change in his world rankings and moves past Patrick Cantlay, it is none other than the only LIV Golf pro in the standings who will start facing the heat soon!

Xander Schauffele, a possible threat to Jon Rahm

A tweet was shared by Xander Schauffele Legion, a fan page dedicated to the professional, which mentions how the athlete would move past Cantlay “on Sunday.” With a total of 228.53922 points on the OWGR, Schauffele, who is currently at No. 6, would finally overtake the current No. 5 to claim his spot.

Well, this paints a concerning picture for Jon Rahm, who is currently at No. 3 on the Official World Golf Rankings. He had earlier jumped ships to the Saudi-backed league, an alternate tour that does not enjoy the backing of the same. Thus, if the 30-year-old can push past the likes of Viktor Hovland following his Sunday move in the future, it would spell trouble for the Spaniard, who would not be awarded any numbers even if he wins an event on the PIF-funded circuit. Moreover, the 2X major champion has the possibility of being dethroned even before his LIV Golf debut.

The system had, a while back, issued a letter to Greg Norman and Gary Davidson to convey their decision to keep LIV Golf out of the OWGR loop. Moreover, they did so citing reasons that the Middle Eastern League boasts a different format than the usual 72-hole one, along with issues in relegation and promotion of players.

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However, Jon Rahm has experienced his fair share of changes in the ranking body over the past year. Although he faces the danger of moving downward, he will surely dust himself off and move on.

Rahm’s OWGR shuffle in 2023

The current No. 3 started 2023 in 5th place. However, after slowly climbing the ranks, Jon Rahm managed to clinch the top spot with a win at the Genesis Invitational. Despite jumping to third in the next few weeks, a major win at Augusta National propelled him to the top spot once again, which he managed to keep until a T50 finish at the U.S. PGA Championship.

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A couple of weeks after missing the cut at the Travelers Championship, Jon Rahm took a dip to the 3rd position on the OWGR. However, since then, the 2023 Masters champ has cemented his position at the same level and currently boasts a total of 339.19447 points. Well, if he is to keep the rank, LIV Golf needs the urgent backing of the ranking body. Whether that will happen, only time will tell!