LIV Golf announced the next six events on its calendar for next season on Wednesday, and Jon Rahm and his fellow breakaway tour stars will be left frustrated by one particular issue
Jon Rahm and his LIV Golf allies are set for more disappointment ahead of the 2025 Open Championship following the latest schedule announcement from the breakaway tour.
LIV revealed the next six events on its calendar for the upcoming season on Wednesday, with tournaments in South Korea, Dallas, Spain, England, Chicago and Indianapolis. The tour had previously confirmed that its first four events of the season will take place in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore in February and March.
The competitions in South Korea and Indianapolis are new additions to the LIV roster, but the main talking point for many players will be something that remains unchanged. The LIV Golf Andalucia will take place at Valderrama in southern Spain from July 11-13, just one week before The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
This was the same schedule as last season, and numerous players complained about a lack of preparation in links conditions when they arrived at Royal Troon. While Valderrama is a prestigious course with a rich history, it offers a completely different challenge to the links courses found along the coasts of the United Kingdom, where the weather can have a significant impact and a lower ball flight is usually preferred. The lack of preparation in similar conditions was clear in the performances of LIV players in Scotland.
The leaderboard was dominated by PGA Tour and DP World Tour players, with only Rahm managing a top-15 finish, ending eight shots behind winner Xander Schauffele, reports the Mirror US.
Members of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour had the chance to play in the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club on Scotland’s east coast the week before The Open, providing an ideal opportunity to fine-tune their skills for the major tournament. LIV Golf players, including Rahm, have urged the tour’s CEO and commissioner, Greg Norman, to schedule a links event before The Open.
However, next year they’ll face the same hurdle of jumping from Valderrama straight into Open week. “There’s so much that goes into adjusting to links golf, getting used to the greens and the ball reacting on the ground,” Rahm reflected post-Open in July. “I didn’t think about it until after [Troon], but it’s undeniable how much it helps to play a links golf course the week before the Open.”
He added, “Obviously, LIV management have contracts in place with some venues and plans in the future. It’s not as easy as it sounds to just say, ‘Well, let’s do this.’ [But] it’d be something I would like to talk to other players [on LIV] about because that way, there’s strength in numbers if five, six or 10 solid players [all agree]. I think a lot of people might agree with it.”
2022 Open champion Cam Smith has shared his thoughts on the contrasting conditions he faced in recent tournaments, telling News.com. au: “It was really two polar opposites of golf. It was really hot [at Valderrama], the ball was going a long way up in altitude, and then getting on to links [at Royal Troon] where it’s quite cold and windy, it’s probably not the best prep.”
He also discussed the LIV Golf schedule, adding, “It’s definitely something that we spoke about. They [LIV] are well aware of that. I don’t know if it’ll happen next year, but definitely in the future it’s something that we want to do.” With the summer schedule for LIV Golf set, players could be at a disadvantage for the Open, and they seem likely to keep pushing Norman for changes.
