team aspect of LIV has been good for him in contrast to the loner he was on the PGA Tour. To go with his US Open win at Pinehurst, DeCham- beau was T-6 at the Masters and second at the PGA Championship before missing the cut at Troon, after which he vowed to bring more shot variety, a departure from the way he likes to play, to the next Open. In his own way, alternating between seeking attention and disappearing with his launch monitor, DeChambeau pursues greatness. Where does Rahm fit in? The second half of the year got better when he tied for seventh at the Open. His last-round 68 started with three birdies that put him within range of the leaders, but he flattened out to play even par the rest of the way. One week later he got his first LIV victory in Eng- land, his tearful reaction no doubt a release after months of stress as a lightning rod. He came to the Paris Olympics eager to win gold for Spain, but also determined to show, on the big stage, that he was a still a force whose fire had not been doused. And he was well on his way to doing so. Tied for the lead with Schauffele entering the final round, Rahm turned in four under 31 and then birdied the 10th hole take a four-stroke lead. But Rahm played the last eight holes five over par, not only losing the gold medal to the PGA Tour-tempered Schef- fler, who made up 10 strokes on Rahm on the final nine, but failing to medal at all. It can be debated whether his inability to close should be attributed to decline in mental tough- ness or if he took on too heavy a psychic load. But there was no doubt that the ordeal left Rahm crushed. “I don’t remember the last time I played a tournament and felt this,” he said. “I think by losing today, I’m getting a much deeper apprecia- tion of what this tournament means to me than if I had won a medal, right? I’m getting a taste of how much it really mattered. . . I’m assuming there’s gonna be motivation for the future. But right now, it’s more painful than anything else.” Rahm’s passion and pain was a reminder of the soulful player the PGA Tour has lost. Because even more than proving that playing for LIV has not diminished his fire, Rahm wanted that gold med- al for the glory and greatness he’s always sought. As it stands, in 2025, he’ll have five more opportu- nities to resume that chase – the four majors and the Ryder Cup. But only five. It’s possible that Rahm will be spending sev- eral prime years as a member of LIV, a dreaded “what if” in his career retrospective. If so, he can recalibrate and win tournaments unlikely to be significant on his record, wait for the majors to make history, and, as he did in signing with LIV, make family his top priority. His wife Kelley is due to give birth to their third child later this year. This is pro golf’s lucrative limbo, a balance of competition and contentment, more smart plays to be made but not as much greatness.
who have gone to LIV have seen their performanc- es in majors decline, Koepka and DeChambeau, each with a win and a runner-up in major cham- pionships since going to LIV, have provided loud rebuttals to the narrative that a soft schedule and easy money sates the hunger to be great. Koepka went to LIV because of the uncertain status of a knee injury that threatened to end his career. The knee improved, but just as he did on the regular events on the PGA Tour, Koepka doesn’t seem particularly motivated by regular LIV events, although he has won five of them in three years. Regardless of what league he plays for, Koepka, 34, cares about majors, believing he has the game and the mentality to prevail when conditions are toughest. However, this year, his best finish in a major was T-26 at both the PGA Championship and US Open, lending grist to the argument that LIV Golf’s environment is not ideal preparation. DeChambeau, 30, would beg to differ. A maverick by nature, the shorter LIV schedule lets him indulge his obsession with total autonomy, leaving plenty of time for hitting the practice range for monster sessions or developing a suc- cessful YouTube channel that is focused equally on golf instruction and presenting a more likable version of himself. DeChambeau said that the
STAYING POWER Jack Nicklaus won 18 professional majors from 1962 to 1986.
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