“Rhambo is LIVing it up” - Defending champion Jon Rahm’s exclusion from the 2024 Amex Championship field raises golf fans' eyebrows
The 2024 Amex Championship will be held from January 15 to 21 at the PGA West and La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California, and defending champion Jon Rahm is missing from the lineup. That has raised quite a few eyebrows given that rumors about Rahm joining LIV Golf have been doing the rounds over the last few weeks.
The rumors began when Rahm withdrew from the new golf league, TGL, orchestrated by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Some reports suggest that Rahm will announce his signing with the LIV Golf series in the coming days, and that he will get his own team on the circuit as well.
Rahm's exclusion from the 2024 Amex Championship has added further fuel to these rumors. Rahm's absence was reported by NUCLR Golf on X (formerly Twitter):
"Defending AMEX Champion Jon Rahm was NOT announced as part of the field this morning during media day."
Needless to say, fans online were disappointed to hear the news. The rumors of the World No. 3 golfer switching to the breakaway league are earning Rahm a lot of criticism, even though nothing has been confirmed.
Here are some of the reactions from golf fans:
Jon Rahm rumored to join LIV Golf as PGA Tour and PIF merger deadline approaches
The world of golf is in a gray area right now, as the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian PIF are scrambling to set up a framework merger agreement before December 31. Amidst the chaos, Jon Rahm moving to the breakaway league would be a big blow for the PGA Tour.
With the likes of Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith having joined the LIV Golf series already, Jon Rahm being the next big golfer from the PGA Tour to make the switch would not be a surprise. However, it has been previously reported that Rahm was not a fan of the new league.
According to The Mirror, Rahm was quoted as saying in August:
"I laugh when people rumor me with LIV Golf. I never liked the format. And I always have a good time with Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia in the practice rounds of Majors. Phil [Mickelson] respects my decision, and I respect his [choice]. Mickelson has told me that I have no reason to go play for LIV, and he has told me that multiple times.”