Jon Rahm’s season debut was cut short on Friday after several errant runs resulted in a second-round 77 and a failed start in the Dubai Desert Classic.
Rahm, who started with a 69 in his tournament debut, made a pair of double bogeys – including two shots on the par-5 18thvol bottom – miss only the third cut since 2021.
“That’s not how you want to start the year,” Rahm told reporters after the round, “but if there’s a silver lining to it, it’s the start of the year. There’s a lot of golf and many months ahead of us. I have a pretty clear idea of what I need to work on. So for the next two weeks, go home and try to get better.
Rahm’s next scheduled start will be the LIV season opener, which will take place February 6-8 in Saudi Arabia.
It was a busy week for the league in that regard.
LIV officially introduced its new CEO, Scott O’Neil, who will replace Greg Norman, and announced a new television deal with Fox Sports.
Rahm said O’Neil, a former NBA and NHL executive, should have a “very positive impact” on the league.
“Even though Greg treated me great, I think having someone like Scott who is a little bit outside of the golf world but very much in the sports world, I think he’s a perfect fit for it,” Rahm said.
“I think, unfortunately, there is too much bad blood between Greg and the governing bodies and having someone outside would help the situation. Other than that, his overall view of his NBA experience, based on what I’m talking to him about, and his vision and enthusiasm, I think he’s going to have a very positive impact on LIV and Fox as well.
Earlier this week, Rahm said professional golf is experiencing a “golden era” with unlimited potential, even as the PGA Tour and LIV’s financial backers, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, are trying to negotiate a deal that could help reunify the sport.
Rahm said O’Neil’s presence and fresh perspective could help the proceedings.
“Having an outsider — I say ‘outsider’ because he wasn’t involved — could be very good in terms of getting him to come to the table with the other governing bodies,” Rahm said. “An outside perspective and perhaps a less threatening image can also help.”
