Jon Rahm has been accused of overestimating his pulling power by Brandel Chamblee, a regular critic of LIV Golf who believes the Spaniard is not the needle-mover he thinks he is.
Chamblee has consistently spoken out against the Saudi-backed tour and is not afraid to voice his opinions, no matter who they might upset.
In a scathing review of the past year on X (formerly Twitter), he said Rahm had a gift for ‘self delusion’ and suggested that other golfers who left the PGA Tour may not be all that compelling.
“This past year, after Jon Rahm’s defection to LIV in late 2023, the dominos were supposed to fall, forcing the hand of the PGA Tour, a deal between the two tours was presumed to be imminent,” wrote Chamblee.
“As a golfer, Rahm has many talents but none seem to exceed his gift for self-delusion. Turns out he was not the impetus to change, although Trump’s election is likely to have more of an impact in that regard than Rahm’s defection.
“So, the year in professional golf comes to a close much as it began, in limbo, but with many of the critics still beating the same worn out drums.”
Rahm is the reigning LIV Golf individual champion, with his victory at the Chicago event in September securing his place at the top of the pile. He has previously admitted that his decision to join the breakaway league was primarily motivated by money.
“Many point to the absence of the poached stars – [Bryson] DeChambeau, [Brooks] Koepka and Rahm – as the primary reason for the decline in TV ratings,” added Chamblee.
“This may be partly true, but if those players were really that compelling, the LIV finale, televised on CW and finishing in prime time on the east coast with Rahm winning, would have drawn more than the whopping audience of 89,000.”
It comes amid the backdrop of ongoing talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf regarding a possible merger, which could bring an end to the so-called ‘civil war’ in the sport.
High-level discussions have been taking place for more than a year but a resolution is yet to be found. PGA Tour bosses are still negotiating with the Public Investment Fund over a reported acquisition of six per cent of the tour’s commercial arm.
Only time will tell if a compromise will eventually be reached, with Bloomberg reporting earlier this month that a peace deal was finally nearing completion.
