Jon Rahm and LIV Golf rebels get very brave as ‘respectful’ Masters agreement threatened

Defending Masters champion Jon Rahm returns to the Masters no longer a member of the PGA Tour – and he’s not the only LIV Golf rebel to be playing this weekend.

The Spaniard showed no fear in attracting attention from PGA Tour spectators as he used irons on the practice range and played a few holes with the logos visible.

At the previous Masters tournament, none of the LIV Golf players wore clothing featuring the official brand logo.

Phil Mickelson wore a shirt and cap displaying his team’s HyFlyers logo during the 2023 tournament, following a meeting with the LIV rebels who decided to remove the branding from their bags and clothes as a sign of respect.

Open champion Cameron Smith even made a quip about bringing a change of clothes to Georgia last year. “I have another set of clothes made up this week without them [the team logos],” he said. “We haven’t really heard much from Augusta National about the logos. For me personally, I’m really proud of where I’m at and what I’m doing. Unless it’s a problem for these guys, I’m going to wear it.”

That is not the case this year, however. As well as Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau wore his team’s Crushers hat while a Crushers golf bag was also spotted at the range.

In typical fashion, Mickelson continued to wear his HyFlyers hat during practice on Monday. Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, however, wore TaylorMade and Nike hats.

It is the boldest LIV showing yet at the Masters and a sign of the direction of travel since its inception and the controversially announcer merger. Rahm’s defection to LIV particularly hurt the PGA Tour, especially as his win at the Masters last year was heralded as a victory for the organisation.

Rahm acknowledged that his departure likely sped up discussions about a merger between the two organizations.

A recent meeting in the Bahamas furthered these talks, and PGA chief Jay Monahan described them as positive but did not provide many details.

Rahm explained to BBC Sport that his departure could potentially serve as a turning point.

He acknowledged the significance of his decision and the potential consequences it may have. Rahm emphasized that it was not an easy choice to make.

Golf’s equilibrium may be slightly disrupted. Fortunately, in my career, particularly in the past year, I achieved significant success and became a prominent figure in the golf world.

Few current players have had a greater influence than me in that regard. I don’t want to boast too much, but I was aware of the position I held.