The disturbing host of this 108th PGA Championship asked more questions than an examiner. You name it, Aronomink laid it out: rough knots, steep fairways, pin-smooth greens wedged into ridges that Alex Honnold couldn’t scale. Then there were the elements: cold mornings; warm, dry afternoons that had fairways and greens moving faster than an Indy track; and the wind. So much wind.
When Jon Rahm got his first look at the setup on Monday and Tuesday, he was fooled by all the speculation that the field would destroy Donald Ross’ nearly century-old design. “I (was) thinking, what’s wrong with me, because everybody was saying we were going to shoot 15-20 down the stretch,” Rahm said Sunday night. “I saw no chance in the world of that happening.”
Rahm was right. His golf instincts usually are. Not a single player hit double figures under par. Aaron Rai, the winner no one saw it comingshot a spectacular fourth-round 65 to post a nine-under 271, which was three better than anyone else. In closest pursuit, at six under, were the 54-hole leader, Alex Smalleyand Rahm, who after two rounds of teaching Aronmink (69-70), on the weekend finally started to solve him (67-68).
A lot was on the line this week for Rahm, and not just a chance at his third major title and first since he left for LIV Golf at the end of 2023. This week in the Philadelphia ‘burbs marked the first major since LIV Golf’s backers – the Saudi Public Investment Fund – announced it is withdrawing its funding at the conclusion of the 2026 season, a decision that has raised serious questions about the future of the league. Will LIV survive? Can. But it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which she can continue to offer her stars nine-figure contracts and her $30 million pitch purses. Any injection of private capital that helps keep the league afloat will require belt-tightening and quick turnarounds. Ask the PGA Tour.
Rahm is a key part of the sales pitch. maybe THE the main part given that he is locked up until at least 2027. His stablemate in LIV, Bryson DeChambeauit’s a bigger draw but he played hard to get it. With only a half-dozen events left on the 2026 schedule, DeChambeau is still unsigned for next season, assuming he has another season. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil said DeChambeau is fully invested in LIV’s well-being and has asked to join meetings with potential investors. But still, until DeChambeau agrees to a new deal, LIV can’t promise prospective buyers that the league’s biggest star will be part of the package.
Which brings us back to LIV’s second biggest star: 31-year-old Rahm.
When Rahm signed with LIV, he was ranked third in the world and coming off a season in which he had won the Masters and finished in the top 10 at two of the other three majors. It was a seismic move, not only for him and his checking account, but for golf pros. With LIV getting another A-lister, its framework deal with the PGA Tour seemed destined to become a CURRENT agreement. Until . . . it didn’t happen. The Tour bolstered its coffers with private equity; The stream of notable players defecting to LIV dried up; and LIV, outside of some international markets, failed to capture the imagination of golf fans. On Tuesday at Aronomink, Rahm was asked about any regrets he might have about his move to LIV.
“Well, we all go back,” he said. “We all think about what could have been and what could not have been. It’s inevitable. Whatever decision you made or choice was thought out and made for what you think are the right reasons, there’s no point dwelling on it. In fact, you shouldn’t really be unhappy about it. At least there’s nothing you regret a bit. It’s an afterthought, not a problem from the choice, I’d say the elements have changed a bit.
On Saturday night, when Rahm found himself in a five-man pack just two behind Alex Smalley’s 54-hole lead, he was again asked about LIV — this time what a Rahm win at Arononmink would mean for the league at this fragile moment for LIV.
Rahm said in key weeks, he only thinks about himself and the things he can control. But he allowed, “If I finish and sit here again tomorrow, then you can ask me the same question and I’ll give you an answer.” He added, “Hopefully I can continue to do what I’ve done so far this week, especially today, and I have a chance to answer that tomorrow.”
On Sunday, Rahm opened 3-3, birdie. He got those two shots back with a weak wedge on 3 and a free tee shot on 7, but then carded 9s and 16s to get back to two under for his round and six under for the tournament and within striking distance of Rai. But then, on the par before Rahm’s, Rai hit 16 and 17 to move to nine under. The game is over.
“Really good golf,” Rahm said of his game. “That’s the only way to look at it. I just wish I could have done better with the speed of the greens. I just couldn’t seem to get it to the hole, and that’s why I didn’t putt.”
Rahm will have a week off to think about what might have been, then it’s back on the road for LIV Korea, followed by the LIV event in Valderrama in northern Spain, about an hour and a half’s drive south of Rahm’s hometown. Rahm’s next major start will come June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills, Long Island, New York, home of the US Open.
Similar questions will await him there. Maybe this time he will have a chance to answer them.
;)
