Jon Rahm has expressed his disappointment in not being part of the WM Phoenix Open but hopes to return to the event someday in the future.Last year, Rahm entered the TPC Scottsdale field after already winning two titles in a season and then went on to finish solo third, his fifth back-to-back top-ten finish of the 2022–23 season. However, after the PGA Tour season ended, he decided to make a switch to LIV Golf for reportedly $550 million, thus barring him from playing in the Tour events.
Speaking at the pre-event press conference of the LIV Golf Las Vegas on Tuesday, February 6, the two-time major champion spoke about not being able to defend his wins and also missing the WM Phoenix Open this time. He said:
“It was a lot harder to be at home not competing and know that those events were going on. Palm Springs and Torrey, those weeks were hard. I’ve explained so many times how important Torrey is for me. And driving by Phoenix as often as I had to and knowing that I wasn’t going to play there, it’s definitely emotional. That’s one of the things that I’m going to miss.”
“I’m hoping that in the near future I can be back playing some of those events. I would certainly love to go back and play some of them.”
Nevertheless, he stated that his current priority was LIV Golf Las Vegas, regardless of any other circumstances.
Having competed in TPC Scottsdale on eight occasions, the 29-year-old Spanish golfer has achieved five placements within the top ten. His most noteworthy accomplishment at the event was finishing in third place last year.
The 2024 WM Phoenix Open is scheduled to begin on Thursday, February 8 at the TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona. In contrast to last year, it will not be considered a Signature event, resulting in a smaller prize of $8.8 million. The victor of the tournament, which will feature 132 players, will receive $1.58 million.
Scottie Scheffler successfully defended his title last year, defeating Nick Taylor with a two-stroke lead.
What is the next step for Jon Rahm?
Jon Rahm will be in Las Vegas this week to participate in the LIV Golf Las Vegas tournament, which will begin on Thursday, February 8 at the Las Vegas Country Club. The tournament has a prize pool of $25 million, with the individual winner taking home $4 million and the team winner receiving $1.5 million. Last week, Rahm finished in third place individually at the LIV Golf Mayakoba event, while his team, Legion XIII, emerged victorious in the team competition during their debut in the Saudi-backed circuit. In addition to Rahm, the Legion XIII team consists of Tyrrell Hatton, Kieran Vincent, and Caleb Surratt.