Jon Rahm would like to see LIV Golf switch to more traditional 72-hole tournaments and still hopes to play some PGA Tour events.
The Spanish superstar says abandoning LIV’s 54-hole format would help the product and encourage fans to accept the breakaway league.
“I think there’s a level of comfort when I say that because it’s a little bit more of what we’re used to seeing in golf,” Rahm said Wednesday at LIV Adelaide. “I came to this realization and I think it could help a lot of fans’ trust in LIV a little bit more because that’s a lot of the complaints that I see from a lot of people.”
Rahm shocked the golf world by making the jump to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf last December for a reported $500 million. On Wednesday, the golfer likened LIV Golf and the PGA Tour to the European soccer model, where there is room for multiple successful leagues.
“The one thing I realized is they all play under the same set of rules. While we play under most (of the same) set of rules, the one key difference is 72 holes,” Rahm said.
“But at the end of the day, LIV is a business. If it doesn’t fit the product, it doesn’t fit the product. I’m just a player.”
Sitting alongside Rahm on Wednesday was Greg Norman, who followed up Rahm’s comments from his role as LIV Golf commissioner.
“I think from LIV’s perspective, we’re very open-minded about it, but you’ve got to understand there’s economic impact about putting television on for 72 holes,” Norman said.
One sore spot for many LIV golfers is that the breakaway tour is not eligible for world ranking points and one of the issues involved is its 54-hole format.
“There are things that we sit back and look at to see what is the most optimal solution to make this a better and better and better event and 72 holes is discussed,” Norman said.
Rahm has made it no secret that he hopes the two sides in golf’s fractured landscape — a fracture that deepened with his move — can come together sooner rather than later. The two-time major winner re-iterated on Wednesday that he would love to be able to play some of his favourite PGA Tour events.
“There’s some PGA Tour events that, if it’s not conflicting with my LIV schedule, I’d love to go play,” he said. “I’ve said numerous times and I’ll say it again — Palm Springs, Torrey Pines, Phoenix, L.A., if I’m allowed to be able to play Players Championship. Those are events that if I could, I would love to play. I’m no stranger to playing 23, 24 events a year.”