Jon Rahm says LIV's smaller fields contribute to top-10 streak
Jon Rahm has finished in the top 10 of every LIV Golf event since he joined in 2024, but called himself a "realist" in acknowledging that it's due to the circuit's smaller fields.
After winning twice in 13 events in 2024, the Spaniard has racked up eight more top-10s this year. However, that is without a victory and his highest finish was a tie for second in the season opener in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
LIV's three-day events feature 13 four-player teams and two wild cards competing in daily shotgun starts, so Rahm only needs to be better than 44 players to card a top-10 result.
"I would happily trade a bunch of them for more wins, that's for sure, but I keep putting myself in good position," Rahm said on Tuesday ahead of this week's U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh. "Listen, I'm a realist in this case. I've been playing really good golf, yes, but I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't easier to have top 10s with a smaller field.
"That's just the truth, right? Had I been playing full-field events, would I have top 10 every single week? No. But I've been playing good enough to say that I would most likely have been inside the top 30 every single time and maybe even top 25, which for 21 straight tournaments I'd say that's pretty good. I still would have had a lot of top 10s, that's for sure.
"I think winning is equally as hard, but you can take advantage of a smaller field to finish higher. As much as I want to give it credit personally for having that many top 10s, I wouldn't always give it as the full amount just knowing that it's a smaller field."
Rahm's other top-10 finish this year was the most impressive to date a T8 at last month's PGA Championship. That came on the heels of a T14 at the Masters. He also finished T7 at last year's Open Championship, so Rahm continues to post quality results when up against the most elite fields in the world.
This week he returns to Oakmont, where he finished 23rd in 2016, 11 strokes behind winner and current LIV player Dustin Johnson. Rahm won his lone U.S. Open title to date five years later at Torrey Pines, and said he is embracing the "extreme challenge" of tackling the notoriously difficult Oakmont.
"It never ceases to amaze, in the sense of the history, the old-school feel of the clubhouse," said Rahm, 30. "Even when you just stand on the putting green, seeing the whole property, you know you're somewhere special. It's quite iconic. It's one of those things that makes it a great venue and a great championship.
"I think you embrace it. You know how great it is. Once you start the tournament, all of those things kind of go away. It's business at that point. It's time to post a score."
Field Level Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
34 minutes ago
- NDTV
Xabi Alonso's New-Look Real Madrid Aiming For Club World Cup Glory
After Real Madrid's hopes of major silverware this season faded the Club World Cup took on far greater importance for them and it will provide an insight into new coach Xabi Alonso's strategy. The 43-year-old Spaniard, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, along with new arrivals Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen add a fresh look to a team that emerged battered and bruised from a domestic season dominated by bitter rivals Barcelona. Former Bayer Leverkusen coach Alonso may deploy his favoured 3-4-3 formation which would give England international Alexander-Arnold an important role on the right flank. Recent Spain debutant Huijsen also bolsters a back-line which has been badly hit by injuries this season. Madrid still have several players sidelined, including Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and Eduardo Camavinga, but some may be able to make their return during the tournament. Midfielder Jude Bellingham is expected to have shoulder surgery after Real's participation ends which they hope is after they have been crowned champions. Their title ambitions is why they paid a reported 10 million pounds ($13.5 million) to sign Alexander-Arnold early, his Liverpool contract was due to end on June 30. In Group H Real Madrid's campaign begins against Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal on June 18 in Miami, before facing Mexican outfit Pachuca in Charlotte on June 22. Alonso's team then face Austria's RB Salzburg in Philadelphia on June 26 in their final group game. Al-Hilal may be a tougher proposition than many expect, having recently appointed Simone Inzaghi as coach after he guided Inter Milan to the Champions League final. With a squad full of well-known names, including Aleksandar Mitrovic, Joao Cancelo and Kalidou Koulibaly, Al-Hilal will believe in their chances of causing an upset. Pachuca have former Newcastle striker Salomon Rondon leading the line but are seen as the weakest team in the group. Madrid beat them 3-0 in the Intercontinental Cup last December, with Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior all on target. Real also thrashed Salzburg 5-1 in January in the Champions League group phase, although the record 15-time winners were dumped out by Arsenal in the quarter-finals. 'Ambitious' play Ancelotti suggested a year ago that top clubs including Madrid would skip the Club World Cup, but was forced to backtrack, and with the winners bagging as much as $135 million, victory is important to the Spanish giants. After Barcelona reclaimed La Liga on the way to wrapping up a domestic treble, beating Madrid four times in the process, Madrid would also welcome some sporting success to raise morale and increase belief before the new campaign. Some of the same problems that Ancelotti could not solve are in Alonso's in-tray and the Club World Cup is the first chance for him to answer them. The Italian complained about a lack of balance because of the top-heavy attack, and Alonso has already suggested Bellingham will be used in a deeper role than previously. A classy midfielder at Madrid and Liverpool in his playing days, Alonso must find a way of playing both Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe without causing Madrid too many problems at the back. "We have to get everything we can out of them -- I have ideas," said Alonso earlier this month. "I am thinking about how to make a balanced team... (and create) a stability that will allow individual qualities to flourish." Madrid's football was often criticised under Ancelotti, to the Italian's chagrin, and Alonso said he wants his team to excite the fans. "We want an ambitious and active game, knowing how to take the initiative, and we have the players for it," he added. "I want a team that transmits emotion, energy, ambitious play and connects with the fans." Alexander-Arnold's supreme passing range may help Madrid overcome the absence of Toni Kroos, who left last summer, while Croatian veteran Luka Modric is playing his final matches for the club before departing. Leaving with a trophy would be an appropriate farewell for one of the game's modern greats, while record 15-time European Cup winners Madrid would also take pride in being the first team to win the expanded Club World Cup.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers 2027: Manolo Marquez set to exit as India coach after Hong Kong defeat
Manolo Marquez Panaji: India coach Manolo Marquez cut a forlorn figure after the solitary goal loss against Hong Kong, understandable for a man who savoured just one win from his eight games in charge of the national team. The first six games were in his dual role as coach of club and country but worryingly for the Spaniard, both his games as full-time coach of the national team ended in defeats. If the 0-2 loss against an under-strength Thailand in an international friendly was brushed aside with the focus being on the AFC Asian Cup 2027 final-round qualifiers, the defeat against Hong Kong left everyone deflated. 'The dressing room is like a funeral, practically,' Manolo said after the game at the Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday. 'We are not very happy. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! We are sad. But I still think that India has possibilities to qualify.' India are at the bottom of the four-team group with just a point from the first two games, starting with a draw against Bangladesh. Singapore and Hong Kong are on top with four points. Only the group winners make it to Saudi Arabia in 2027. Mathematically, India can finish on top, but even if it happens, Manolo won't be around to savour the achievement as the Spanish coach is expected to part ways with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) as soon as later this month. 'From June 1, Manolo became a full-time national team coach, and he cannot walk out of his two-year contract on his own,' a senior official told TOI on Wednesday, 'Both parties must agree on termination. Given the situation at the moment, with the chief coach hesitant to continue and the results not entirely convincing, the mutual parting of ways is a mere formality.' 'Nitish Kumar is a guy who can bowl that magic ball': India bowling coach Morne Morkel A formal parting of ways is expected to take place when the technical committee of the AIFF and its executive committee holds separate meetings on June 29. Manolo will be disappointed with the unexpectedly early end to his stint as national coach. Having managed teams at every level, including grassroots, youth, third division, second division, women's football, and the LaLiga with Las Palmas in 2017, the national team job was the only one missing for the Spaniard. He was brought on board after agreeing to do a dual job with FC Goa and India, but the results have been far from satisfactory. 'I cannot say anything negative about the players. The attitude was there, we had a plan too. In some moments, I felt we could have played better with the ball and be brave. But this is about the situation that the team is not winning, and the players are a little nervous,' said Manolo. Quiz: Who's that IPL player? It was Manolo who flew down to Bengaluru from Goa to convince Sunil Chhetri to come out of international retirement, seeing him as a short-term solution, given that the other leading scorers among domestic players was an uncapped winger and a left-back. Chhetri agreed, scored once against Maldives -- Manolo's only win as national team coach -- but hardly made an impression in the subsequent games. Against Hong Kong, India's highest international goal-scorer didn't even make it to the starting XI. When the next round of Asian Cup qualifiers are played against group leaders Singapore, away (Oct 9) and home (Oct 14), AIFF would have found a replacement for Manolo as national coach. Replacing Chhetri won't be as straightforward, unless the 40-year-old forward decides it's time for India to start afresh. Maybe his starting on the bench on Tuesday was a pointer to how things might shape out in the coming months.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Paulina Gretzky set to inherit incredible fortune and stunning luxury boat from hockey icon Wayne Gretzky
As Dustin Johnson pursues another shot at U.S. Open glory, attention has shifted to his wife, Paulina Gretzky—not just for her support, but because of what she stands to inherit from her legendary father, Wayne Gretzky. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While Johnson has secured massive paydays from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, Paulina's future is lined with generational wealth thanks to her father's illustrious career and lavish lifestyle. Wayne Gretzky's fortune and assets are shaping Paulina's multi-million dollar legacy Wayne Gretzky, often referred to as 'The Great One,' is more than just a hockey legend—he's a financial powerhouse. With an estimated net worth of $250 million, Gretzky holds 61 NHL records and has turned his post-retirement years into a business empire. For Paulina, this means inheriting not only an enormous fortune but also a portfolio of jaw-dropping properties and luxury items. Among his holdings, Gretzky owns a lakefront estate in Idaho, multiple Florida homes, and a childhood residence in Brantford, Ontario. He even repurchased his famed 'Gretzky Mansion' in Thousand Oaks, California, only to flip it for a profit in 2021. But one of the most unique pieces in the Gretzky collection isn't a home—it's a custom, handcrafted 34-foot Steinway 340 HT powerboat. The Steinway powerboat is more than just a toy—it's a family heirloom in the making Commissioned in 2021, this bespoke mahogany boat—built by Couer Custom—is worth $900,000 and blends elegance with engineering. It can hit speeds of 50 mph but is designed for leisure. 'I was relatively fast when I skated, but these days I drive my car slow,' Gretzky told Robb Report. 'I'll take comfort over speed any day.' The boat features plush loungers, a main cockpit with cozy sofas, a stern sunpad, and even an electric bimini for added shade. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Paulina's mother, Janet Jones, played a pivotal role in designing its stylish aesthetic. 'She's the creative one in the family; the only thing I asked for was to have a Canadian flag at the back,' Gretzky added. Also Read: Between her father's sprawling real estate, massive fortune, and luxurious custom yacht, Paulina Gretzky's future looks every bit as glamorous as her past—and Dustin Johnson may not be the biggest star in the household for much longer.
