“It's a weird diagnosis” – Jon Rahm details his injury woe after winning LIV Golf Championship

Jon Rahm had a strong 2024 season minus the withdrawal from the US Open in June. The 2023 Masters champion was forced to pull out of the competition due to a foot injury. This came after he walked out of the LIV event in Houston over pain caused by a foot infection. The WD from the Major ended his streak of 29 consecutive Major starts as his spot was filled by Jackson Suber.

Following his LIV Golf Individual Championship victory in Chicago on Sunday, Rahm reflected on his earlier injury woe and dubbed it an ‘odd’ experience. The Spaniard said it was a “weird diagnosis” as it wasn’t anything his team expected it to be. The two-time Major winner said the infection didn’t take long to heal, making it “kind of a nice reset” for his season.

The 29-year-old said he used the “weird” break time to be with the family and to reset mentally. He addressed the positive of the scenario and said it “ended up working really well” as he went on to win multiple LIV events after the break.

Speaking about his injury that kept him out of the US Open, Jon Rahm said, as quoted by ASAP Sports:

“It was odd because we had a couple weeks off at home where I couldn't do much, and Houston, couldn't do much. US Open week, I didn't do anything at all. It's a weird diagnosis, from what we thought it was to what it ended up being. That thing was Tuesday or Wednesday of the US Open when they finally opened up the wound and showed me what it was.

"A lot of work to make sure the infection was gone... In a weird way, it was kind of a nice reset from not having played that great maybe and up to my expectations earlier on in the year. Took it as a weird -- just rest time to be at home, to be with the family, to mentally reset and get ready for the end of the year, and that's what I did, and it ended up working really, really well.”

Jon Rahm returned to LIV Golf Nashville after the break. The golfer claimed that he played “really good” that week as he finished T3. Notably, he went on to finish T10 at his home turf Valderrama in the following week. He then registered his first LIV Golf win in the UK, which eventually fueled his Individual Championship victory over Joaquin Niemann.

Jon Rahm wins LIV Golf Championship in debut season

Jon Rahm won the 2024 LIV Golf Chicago at Bolingbrook on Sunday (September 15). The Spaniard shot 4-under 66 in the final round to finish at 11 under. He beat T2 Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia by three shots to claim his second-ever win on the breakaway tour and the circuit’s season-long Individual Championship.

With the win in Chicago, Rahm bagged the winner’s paycheck of $4,000,000 along with the whopping $18,000,000 bonus payout for the Championship victory. It is pertinent to note that Rahm was the biggest name that joined the Saudi-backed league last season.

For the unversed, Jon Rahm moved to the Saudi-backed series in December alongside European Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton. Notably, his big-money move was heavily criticized by many. However, it seems to pay off as he finished in the top 10 at every LIV event he completed, bagging hefty paychecks over the big championship bonus.

Listed below is the breakdown of Jon Rahm’s 2024 season (Event-finish):

LIV Golf Events:

LIV Golf Mayakoba (El Camaleón Golf Course at Mayakoba) – T3
LIV Golf Las Vegas (Las Vegas Country Club) – 8
LIV Golf Jeddah (Royal Greens G&CC) – 5
LIV Golf Hong Kong (Hong Kong Country Club) – T8
LIV Golf Miami (Trump National Doral Golf Course) – T4
LIV Golf Adelaide (The Grange Golf Club) – T3
LIV Golf Singapore (Sentosa Golf Club - Serapong Course) – T10
LIV Golf Houston (Golf Club of Houston) – Withdrawn
LIV Golf Nashville (The Grove) – T3
LIV Golf Andalucía (Real Club Valderrama) – T10
LIV Golf United Kingdom (JCB Golf and Country Club) – 1
LIV Golf Greenbrier (The Old White Course) – 2 (Playoff loss)
LIV Golf Chicago (Bolingbrook Golf Club) – 1

Major Championships:

Masters Tournament (Augusta National Golf Club) – T45
PGA Championship (Valhalla Golf Club) – Missed Cut
The Open (Royal Troon Golf Course) – T7

Jon Rahm will return next week for the LIV Golf Team Championship in Dallas where his Legion XIII side will challenge Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC for the win.