TROON, Scotland — They have gone their separate ways, which is a shame for the sport.
That’s because not long ago, the sport seemed on the brink of a bitter rivalry between Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler.
Lahm had been fluctuating between 1st and 2nd in the world rankings, replacing Schaeffler, but in December 2023 he moved to LIV Golf with Saudi Arabian funding.
Since then, Rahm, once the face of the PGA Tour, has seemingly disappeared into the witness protection program.
Scheffler, meanwhile, has continued to win, further cementing his status as the No. 1 player in the world with a style of dominance not seen in the nearly 14 years since Tiger Woods stunned everyone else and distanced himself from the competition.
Rahm won four times in the 2022-23 season, including the Masters, before moving to LIV and not winning a golf tournament since.
He played in two PGA Tour events this year, tying for 45th at the Masters and missing the cut at the PGA Championship, but withdrew before last month’s U.S. Open because of a foot infection.
Schaeffler?
He has six wins, including his second Masters title in 2024 and his second consecutive Players Championship.
Unsurprisingly, Scheffler is the overwhelming favourite to win the British Open at Royal Troon this week, with Rahm a close second.
“I really haven’t played my best since the Masters last year,” Rahm said Tuesday. “I wasn’t at my best until the Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup was probably the only similarity to the first half of this year. The first half of this year wasn’t my best.”
“But in Nashville and last week [in Spain, both LIV events where he finished fourth and 10th, respectively]I felt like I was approaching a higher level of golf where I didn’t have to think so much about my playing process. Perhaps I was playing a little more freely and seeing the ball flight I wanted to see more often.
“Well, we’re getting pretty close to where we were at the beginning of last year.”
This week will be a good litmus test for how far Lahm is from Schaeffler.
“I had a short conversation with John. [and] “Obviously he’s very disappointed with his performance in a major tournament,” Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald said. “The first two were obviously not up to his standard and then it was obviously an unfortunate injury at a time when it was bad. [at the U.S. Open].
“I think it’s a big week for him. I’m sure he’s been very focused on improving his game to the point where he can compete for a major championship again. There will definitely be a bit of pressure in that respect, but we’ll see how he handles it.”
Brad Faxon said Rahm was with his putting coach, Rory McIlroy, when he was making the decision to go to LIV and that he had been exchanging text messages with McIlroy about the matter.
“I think it was a really tough decision for Jon Rahm to choose between this amount of money and leaving the tour where he’s had such success and comfort,” Faxon said. “When I heard Jon’s comments about how hard it was to come home to Scottsdale, [Ariz.] He was there because the PGA Tour event Waste Management was being played. [play in it].
“He also commented on one event he played in Saudi Arabia, where there was a photograph of him taking a shot and hitting his second shot into a hole at the top of a hill, with very few spectators watching the former world number one player.
“I think he misses it. Then you add in some of the injuries he’s had and the difference in the travel, where he’s now all over the world but now it’s mostly America and Europe. I think it’s a big adjustment for him.”
It’s up to Lahm to adapt – if not, his decision to move to LIV will continue to be heavily scrutinised.
“Obviously things have changed this year,” Rahm said, “but there are times when you have to get used to certain things. But I’m very happy with where I am and I’m keen to keep competing because I know that in one moment, one swing or one day everything can change and I could have a good week.”
This week would be a good time for that to happen in golf, and even better if he and Scheffler go head-to-head late Sunday night, as Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson did in the last British Open at Troon in 2016.
