JON RAHM BELIEVES TALOR GOOCH “SHOULD BE UNDER CONSIDERATION” FOR MAJOR INVITES
Jon Rahm thinks Talor Gooch deserves major invites just like Joaquin Niemann, and Bryson DeChambeau agrees with him.
Jon Rahm believes both Augusta National and the PGA of America have done the right thing by offering Joaquin Niemann invites into The Masters and US PGA this season, but that Talor Gooch “should be under consideration” too.
Rahm spoke at length with reporters on a number of hot topics surrounding the LIV Golf League ahead of their fourth event of the season in Hong Kong this week.
The Legion XIII skipper was joined by Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau.
Both Rahm and DeChambeau agreed Niemann was without question a top 10 player in the world in light of his Australian Open win at the end of 2023 followed by capturing two of the first three titles on LIV Golf in 2024 at Mayakoba and Jeddah.
With LIV Golf League events remaining shut out of receiving any Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, Niemann finds himself down in 76th.
Despite being ineligible to compete in the majors based on his world ranking position, both Augusta National and the PGA of America have handed the red-hot Chilean invites to compete in The Masters and US PGA, and very few disagree with it.
Earlier this week it was reported LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman has now given up hope of the league ever receiving points, and they are no longer going to try to get them.
Rahm said:
“If anybody in this world, for example, doesn’t think Joaco [Niemann] deserves to be in the top 10 or doesn’t know that he’s a top player in the world, I don’t know what game you’re watching.”
DeChambeau emphasized that critics’ opinions about the MENA Tour’s 54-hole structure are not worth considering since the tour is already receiving Official World Golf Ranking points for hosting tournaments with that format.
Rahm and DeChambeau both expressed the opinion that Talor Gooch, the reigning champion of the LIV Golf Individual tournament from last year, deserves to be considered for invitations to The Masters and US PGA, similar to Niemann’s invitations this season.
Gooch, who was victorious three times on the LIV Golf tour last season and ultimately won the season-long individual race, is currently ranked 476th in the world, which means he will not be able to participate in any of the four major tournaments in 2024.
Gooch stirred controversy in the golf community recently by suggesting that if Rory McIlroy achieves the career grand slam at The Masters in April, it should be marked with an asterisk because some top LIV Golf players were not able to participate. Some believe the reason why Gooch has not received major invites this season like Niemann is because he has not participated in tournaments outside the LIV Golf League to earn OWGR points.
Niemann achieved this by participating in the DP World Tour towards the end of the previous season, excelling in Dubai, and ultimately emerging victorious in Australia.
He has also taken part in competitions on the Asian Tour, another tour that awards Official World Golf Ranking points.
A professional golfer who has won on the PGA Tour six times criticized Gooch by questioning his accomplishments. Rahm believes that he thinks excessively.
