Jon Rahm has delivered his first press conference since signing for LIV Golf in a big-money deal in December.
The Masters champion has since formed the LIV Golf League’s 13th team, Legion XIII, with Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt and Kieran Vincent completing the line-up, with its maiden tournament coming on 2 February at LIV Golf Mayakoba.
Nevertheless, Rahm touched on considerably more than his debut on the circuit when he faced the media. Here are five takeaways from the session.
Rory McIlroy’s ‘Let Them Come Back’ Comments
Rory McIlroy has taken a more conciliatory attitude to the subject of LIV Golf in recent weeks, and, following Rahm’s move, said the rules needed to be rewritten to accommodate the Spaniard at the next Ryder Cup.
Before the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he went even further, saying of anyone who wished to return to the PGA Tour, “Let them come back,” while also stating they shouldn’t face punishment for doing so.
Rahm welcomed the comments, saying: “He might have had a change in thought process, as in maybe with some of the things he said in the past. I think he might be seeing that the landscape of golf is changing and at some point you need to evolve.
“So I think he might be seeing that, and everybody is entitled to their opinion, but it's nice to have the support from a player the caliber of Rory, especially those Ryder Cup remarks he made early on. I think that's an important statement for change to be said.”
The LIV Golf Teams To Beat
Now the LIV Golf season is upon us, the time for talking has nearly stopped, and Rahm turned his attentions to the teams he thinks will be the ones to beat in the quest for honours in the second League season.
He explained: “Anybody has a chance any give week, but obviously defending champions, Crushers, both the League and here. 4Aces are always a strong team. With Talor Gooch now on the team, Smash is always going to be - two great players with him and Brooks, definitely a chance; Torque, great last year, as well."
Rahm also singled out compatriot Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC as a contender, saying: “They definitely have the firepower, as well. I could name every single team.”
He’s Played With Caleb Surratt Before
The addition of the inexperienced Surratt surprised many, but he has made a big name for himself in the amateur game in recent years, including playing a star role for the US team in its Walker Cup win over Great Britain and Ireland at The Old Course, St Andrews last year.
But what does Rahm know about him? Quite a lot, it turns out, including first-hand experience of his game before last year’s American Express.
He explained: “Caleb, obviously for people that follow amateur golf, he's a very accomplished amateur golfer. We played a practice round together last year, actually, on Wednesday of the American Express, so I knew of him enough to know how good it was and what he was capable of.
"Then that year he went on to win SEC Championships, one of the top ranked amateurs in the world, Walker Cup player, performed great in the Walker Cup. His amateur resume speaks for its own.”
His Connection With Tyrrell Hatton
While Surratt and Vincent have outstanding potential, the signature of Rahm’s Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton is the most eye-catching of the three, and the two-time Major winner had plenty of warm words for the Englishman.
He said: “Tyrrell is somebody I respect a lot. He's a really good friend of mine. We've shared the stage in some of the biggest events in the world and more recently in the Ryder Cup. Proud to say we're undefeated together. It's somebody that's always been very high on my list. I think it's somebody who can perform under any circumstances.
"I think the two of us understand each other very well for some various obvious reasons we're probably not going to get into, but I see a lot of myself in him, as well, so that's probably why I feel such a good connection with him on the team.”
His Style Of Captaincy
While many observers will be keen to see whether Rahm can bring his stunning form of last year to a different format with his individual performances, he'll be taking the role of captain just as seriously, particularly given the emphasis on the team element so prominent on the circuit. So, what will his approach to the job entail?
He explained: “I think a good captain can adapt to each player. I don't think there's one single formula that will work for everybody. I know what might work to get the best out of me might not work for Kieran or Tyrrell or Caleb.
"I'm going to have to get to know everybody a little bit better to be able to know what buttons to push definitely at what times.”
