"I didn't really care, I never got into the feud" - Jon Rahm focused on PGA Championship, avoids criticizing the LIV Golf Players
The 2023 Masters Champion Jon Rahm is ready to tee off on Thursday, May 18, at the 2023 PGA Championship. The Spanish golfer will be looking to get his third major this year at the Oak Hill County Club.
At the press conference ahead of the tournament, Rahm was asked about his stance on the ongoing debate surrounding the PGA Tour versus LIV Golf. He replied:
"I'm the wrong player to ask. I didnt really care in that sense. I never got into the feud. I've never had any negative feelings towards any player that went over to LIV."
Live from Oak Hill with World No. 1, Jon Rahm. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
Rahm has been neutral about the controversy surrounding the Saudi-backed league since its inception. Talking about the career choice of LIV golfers, he said:
"Obviously there's some things in life, some values that I believe in that I might judge if you compromise, but that is your choice to do with your career. It's your life, it's your family. You do whatever you want"
Jon Rahm went on to explain that he does not hold any grudges against any of the LIV golfers. The Spaniard said that he still plays practice rounds with them.
Rahm also added that he is good friends with two-time PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson, who also happened to tee alongside him at the 2023 Masters.
He elaborated:
"From that point of view, I'm nobody to tell them what to do. That's why I would never get emotionally invested in something like that. It's their life."
Jon Rahm guessed the mindset of 1998 Tiger Woods at the 2023 PGA Championship press conference and many more
The current green jacket bearer Jon Rahm spoke about various things during the press conference. From scouting the major tournament course on YouTube to guessing what Tiger Woods would have had in his mind back in 1998.
Talking about the 15-time major champion Woods, Rahm said:
"It would be very similar to what Tiger might have said in '98 in the middle of swing changes. In certain aspects it might pay dividends down the future, right? So just because you haven't accomplished something today doesn’t mean it’s not going to pay off in the future."
Interestingly, Jon Rahm tries to stay away from all the distractions going around in the golf fraternity. This might be a major reason behind his success in recent times.
Jon Rahm is riding that wave.
#PGAChamp https://t.co/rvGyVOMkQx
Talking about the Oak Hill County Club, the golf course where the 2023 PGA Championship is slated to be held, he said:
"Whoever is setting up the golf course is going to have a lot of fun. You can make this golf course as difficult as you want or not as accessible as you want, but obviously you can make a big difference in the scoring."
Since the Oak Hill County Club is often compared to the infamous Winged Foot Golf Club, the game might be very short. Talking about this, Rahm said:
"If you don't hit it through that gap, some of the holes that are quite narrow, those bunkers are no joke"
According to Rahm, players are going to miss fairways and greens, but that will not affect the progress of the game. He explained:
"Everybody will miss fairways, everybody will miss greens, so if you can get those up-and-downs, obviously it's not only a confidence booster, but it's something that will keep the round going."
The PGA Championship starts at 7:00 am (ET) on May 18, 2023. It would be interesting to see Jon Rahm pulls out something incredible to win his second major of the season.