Why did Jon Rahm withdraw from LIV Golf’s Houston event?
It’s no secret that the 2023 Masters champion is struggling this season, and while his withdrawal from Houston is due to injury, the timing isn’t great.
2024 has not been the best year of Jon Rahm’s career. Indeed, the Spaniard has struggled to recreate the form that saw him win one of golf’s most prestigious majors just one year ago. Now that he won’t be playing in Houston it seems we have more questions than answers where the rest of his season is concerned.
Jon Rahm withdraws from LIV Golf Houston event
As we’ve already made clear, it’s not a great moment for Jon Rahm, and with that, it now seems that things have only gotten worse after the 29-year-old confirmed on Saturday afternoon that he would be withdrawing from LIV Golf’s Houston event because of a foot injury. The news of course comes at a time when the U.S. Open is just one week away. Where context is concerned, Rahm is just one year out from winning the 2023 Masters and is currently ranked seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking
It is understood that Ram experienced an issue during first-round play on Friday after first dealing with what were described as cuts between his toes. Indeed, after seeking treatment during the round, he went on to post a 3-under-par 69 at the Golf Club of Houston, during a round that saw him sink five birdies and a double bogey. On Saturday, Rahm was only able to play six holes of his second round before throwing in the towel. To date, LIV Golf has provided no further information on his status.
A two-time major winner, Ram won the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, however, he is yet to claim his first win since joining LIV Golf. That said, he is still the captain of his own team in the league, Legion XIII. In the seven events that he has played thus far, Rahm has finished inside the top 10 each time, with two third-place finishes. Nonetheless, the struggle has been real. At present, he is tied for 45th in his Masters defense and that’s having missed the cut last month at the PGA Championship, the first he has failed to make in the last 18 that he’s attempted. At this point, it remains unclear whether Ram will be back in time for the U.S. Open, but perhaps a break wouldn’t be a bad thing.