Jon Rahm says his 21 straight top-10 LIV Golf finishes aren't telling the whole story
OAKMONT, Pa. — Jon Rahm has 21 consecutive top-10 finishes in his LIV Golf events and was asked about that streak.
'I would happily trade a bunch of them for more wins, that's for sure, but I keep putting myself in good position,' he said. '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 [48-player] field.
'Had I been playing full-field events, would I have top 10 every single week? No.
Jon Rahm hits out of the bunker on the fourth hole of his U.S. Open practice round on June 11, 2025.
Getty Images
'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.
'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.'
John Bodenhamer, the USGA's chief championships officer, on Wednesday hinted that it's possible Phil Mickelson, who's playing in his 34th U.S. Open but is in the final year of his five-year exemption into the event, would be in consideration for a special invitation next year should be not otherwise qualify.
The 2026 U.S. Open will be played at Shinnecock Hills, where Mickelson finished runner-up in 2004.
Mickelson actually received a special exemption in 2021, but went on to win the PGA Championship to earn his way in as well as a five-year exemption.
This week is the final year of that exemption.
'We would review things for Shinnecock ahead of next year and look at all of those possibilities and evaluate it from there,' Bodenhamer said when asked about another special invite. 'We hope he earns his way in, and I think he'd tell you the same thing. That's what he did last time. We gave him one and then he went out and won the PGA Championship. So, [we] wouldn't put it past him.''
Rory McIlroy was asked how 'big a factor' it was in his subpar PGA Championship performance last month having to play with his backup driver after he was forced to take his No. 1 out of play when it was deemed nonconforming by the USGA.
'It wasn't a big deal for Scottie [Scheffler], so it shouldn't have been a big deal for me,' he said.
Rory McIlroy hits a tee shot on the first hole of his U.S. Open practice round on June 11, 2025.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Scheffler, the world No. 1 player who went on to win the PGA, also had his driver taken out of play because it was found to be nonconforming.
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22 minutes ago
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Rupe Taylor watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 13, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Rupe Taylor walks to the tee on the 16th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 13, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Rupe Taylor speaks during a interview before the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt York) Rupe Taylor hits his tee shot on the 16th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 13, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Rupe Taylor watches on the 16th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 13, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Rupe Taylor watches on the 16th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 13, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Rupe Taylor watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 13, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Rupe Taylor walks to the tee on the 16th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 13, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Rupe Taylor speaks during a interview before the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt York) Rupe Taylor hits his tee shot on the 16th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 13, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Rupe Taylor watches on the 16th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 13, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rupe Taylor had 10 days to contemplate his most improbable path to the PGA Championship, and that wasn't enough to prepare the golf professional when he arrived at Quail Hollow. He walked 18 holes with a wedge and a putter to get comfortable. And then he stepped into the locker room and found himself face-to-face with Scottie Scheffler. Advertisement 'I had to do a double take because I was like 'I can't believe this is happening,'' said Taylor, a 35-year-old whose 'Play Better Golf Now' instruction business in Virginia is affiliated with Virginia Beach National. "He was so kind. He was authentic. I talked to him for a couple of minutes and he asked me about me.' 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He met a girl through a social media app, Baylee, who trusted the process and stayed by him on the road to recovery, to finding work in the golf business. Taylor has been sober for 12 years now. They are married with an 18-month-old daughter, Noah. He worked at golf courses on Kiawah Island in South Carolina and back home in Virginia. That's when he decided to spend his working time giving lessons to a cross-section of people who wanted to get better, allowing more time with his wife and young daughter. Advertisement Yes, it's been a journey. Taylor is among the 20 club professionals at the PGA Championship who will take on Quail Hollow alongside Scheffler and Rory McIlroy and defending champion Xander Schauffele. The strongest field of the majors has 98 of the top 100 players in the world ranking. And the field includes Rupe Taylor, a recovering alcoholic and teaching professional who still can't believe he has his name plate in a locker room next to PGA Tour winners Nick Taylor and Sahith Theegala. PGA professionals have come under scrutiny over the years for diluting a field at a major championship. They are among some 31,000 members of the PGA of America who work long hours giving lessons, folding shirts, organizing club competitions. This is their reward. Advertisement Taylor qualified at the PGA Professional Championship in Florida on April 30, making a double bogey on the 11th hole that made him sweat, recovering with consecutive birdies to easily finish in the top 20 to earn a spot in the field. Scheffler recalls meeting Taylor on Sunday when he arrived. 'It's a lot of fun to have those guys in this tournament,' Scheffler said. 'I think the PGA pros do a lot for the game of golf, running tournaments all over the country, teaching people all over the country, and it's a huge organization, and they do a lot for our game.' Taylor mentioned being on Cloud 9 on more than one occasion, but actions speak louder than cliches. He showed up Monday at 7:30 a.m. in the rain and played 18 holes. Advertisement 'Nothing is going to faze me,' he said. 'We have rain gear. We have umbrellas. I'm at the PGA Championship. I'm going to play.' It was his second time at the PGA Professional Championship, the first experience a decade ago when he was just starting to get his life back in order. That wasn't easy on its own. And then a year into sobriety, Taylor lost his grandfather to cancer. Ten days later, his father died. He had diabetes from a young age and wasn't in the best shape. 'He had low blood sugar, got into a car accident and I never go to speak to him again,' Taylor said, his voice cracking slightly. It was a devastating time in his life, and yet he never felt stronger. Advertisement 'At that point, I had my sobriety in order and I think in some ways it helped me deal with the grief,' he said. "A lot of what we discussed in AA is you can't let circumstances influence your desire to drink or give you an excuse. 'Without sobriety, I would have fallen into a deep depression and gotten into another bender.' His given name is Robert. Turns out he was playing Little League at age 10 and his coach had bad handwriting. He was called 'Rupert," which became Rupe. And it stuck. It's a name worth noting this week, even if it likely won't be found on the leaderboard. His expectations are minimal. Quail Hollow is a big course for anyone, much less a professional who spends more time giving lessons than honing his own game. Taylor at times wonders how good he could have become had he chosen a different path in golf. Advertisement Then again, he wonders how in the world he got from a hospital bed in a drunken state to teeing it up against Scheffler and McIlroy in the PGA Championship. 'I'm just going to do the best I can and have as much fun as I can,' Taylor said. 'At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what I do. I feel like I won already just by being here.' ___ AP golf:
