Masters champion Jon Rahm on defending his title at Augusta and transitioning from LIV to 72 holes

• By Iain Carter
• ` golf correspondent

image source, Getty Images

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As Masters tradition dictates, Jon Rahm, the 2023 champion, was helped into his green jacket by previous winner Scottie Scheffler

1 hour ago

Venue: Augusta National. Dates: 11th – 14th April
Coverage: Live radio and text commentary on ` Sounds and the ` Sport website for each round. All details

Masters champion Jon Rahm has called for the LIV Golf League to move to 72 holes and believes his lucrative move to the Breakaway Tour could represent a “tipping point” in the ongoing battle over the future of professional men's golf.

The 29-year-old Spaniard is looking forward to defending his title in Augusta this week after finishing fourth at the LIV event in Miami last week despite leading his Legion XIII quartet to victory in the team event.

For the first time this year, all of the world's best players will be in the same place when the Masters tees off on Thursday. The opening tournament of the 2024 calendar begins with men's soccer still divided as the PGA Tour explores a possible relationship with LIV's Saudi Arabian backers.

Before his move, Rahm was critical of LIV's shortened 54-hole tenure and, despite signing a deal worth a reported £450m, he believes his new employers should review their format.

Speaking to ` Sport, he said: “If there was ever a way to get LIV to 72 holes, I think that would help that whole argument a lot.”

“The closer I can bring LIV Golf to other things, the better. I think it would be a kind of unification that could be incorporated into a world tour or something.”

“I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I definitely wouldn’t mind going back to 72 holes.”

Rahm remains an influential global star, having added the Masters to his 2021 US Open title, which he won at Torrey Pines in California. He was a staunch LIV critic, but shook the golf establishment when he moved at the end of last year.

He agrees that if LIV manages to lure him into their ranks, they will be able to secure the services of almost any leading player and that they have now proven themselves to be a significant part of the modern golf scene.

“It’s a well-thought-out argument,” he told me. “In that sense, I could be the start of a turning point.

“I understood the weight [my] what decision it might have and what impact it might have. I completely understood that and that's why it wasn't an easy decision.

“The balance of golf might be a little off. Fortunately, I have achieved a lot in my career, especially in the last year, and have become one of the bigger names in golf.”

“There are few active players who could have had a greater impact than me in this regard. I don’t want to pat myself on the back too much, but I understood the situation I was in.”

Rahm describes the announcement of a “framework agreement” between the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the PGA and DP World Tours on June 6, 2023 as a defining moment for him.

Like all leading players on both tours, he was surprised by the move and spoke at the time of a feeling of “betrayal” by the tour hierarchy. “I wasn’t happy,” he admitted.

“At the US Open, trying to deal with something like that wasn't perfect timing.

“We have to think about the fact that the second the framework agreement was worked on, everything changed.”

“And that’s where all this change started. If it wasn’t me (who made the move), it would have been someone else at some point.”

“If the PGA Tour is now open to collaborating with the PIF or LIV or perhaps coming together in some way, then that has opened the door for me to do the same thing.”

Behind the scenes, the political battle continues this week in the Augusta National clubhouse. Rumors are already circulating that PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan could be present at the Masters.

But Rahm will put the future of golf aside and focus on defending his crown. As he recalls 12 months ago, he smiles at how he originally started the process of securing his first green jacket.

He started with a double bogey after four-putting the opening green. “I’m really happy to be able to talk about it now,” he laughed.

“It was very unusual. I hit a perfect tee shot, the 8-iron in the middle of the green – according to plan so far – and then hit the first putt a little too hard and then got the next two wrong.”

“I think the part that's lost here is that I'm obviously not happy about doubling the first hole. But if you make a mistake like that, it might as well be soon enough so you have enough time to correct it.”

“Every single one of those putts felt good.”

He bounced back with a birdie in the second round, managing to meet what he sees as the key benchmark for the opening stretch through the cathedral pines of the famous Alister Mackenzie layout.

“I think if you have even par on the seventh fairway, you're good. At Augusta National, the first six holes can be a real challenge.”

“A lot of mistakes can happen, a lot of bogeys can happen, so that was my challenge, and sure enough I was on the seventh fairway at even par, made birdie on the seven and felt like there was no difference at all.”

Last year's tournament was marred by weather and Rahm had to play 30 holes on the final day before emerging victorious and winning the Masters alongside fellow Spaniards Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia.

“We played a lot of golf on the weekend,” Rahm recalled. “I think the last one like this was 2005. Tiger.” [Woods] He told me that he played 54 holes over the weekend due to weather delays.

He believes his form in the month leading up to the tournament was better than it was a year ago, when he recorded three early PGA Tour victories. He rejects the notion that LIV lacks the intensity of competition that his previous circuit offered.

“I see everyone’s skepticism,” Rahm said. “I understand. I’ve been there and expressed it to more people than most people would probably bring up.”

“That was one of the things that stopped me from potentially joining LIV Golf. But now that I’m here, at the beginning of the tournament I actually sometimes forgot that I only played 54 holes.”

And he believes qualifying to use the ultra-exclusive Champions locker room will give him an extra boost.

“Going back and knowing that you are a champion and have an idea of ​​how to get things done and the peace of mind that you know you can do it again is always an added bonus,” he said.

“It will be a little different being the defending champion, but I should also have a little more motivation.”

He is looking forward to hosting a Basque-style champions dinner on Tuesday evening with small local snacks called pintxos. Tradition (there are so many at the Masters) demands that he foot the bill, but readily and happily admits that he can certainly afford it.

In fact, he's ready to enjoy everything that comes with being a winner of golf's most glamorous tournament. “It's pretty incredible, isn't it?” he smiled.

“The opportunity to go into the locker room and be surrounded by these players. It’s a very exclusive club, very, very exclusive and very special.”

“I hope to be someone who comes back as defending champion, puts in a good performance and hopefully wins.”

He would be the first to successfully defend since Woods 22 years ago. Given the seismic impact of his transition to the LIV tour, the impact of such success would be significant.

You can listen to the full interview with Jon Rahm on ` Radio 5 Live's 'Masters Preview' program on ` Sounds from 9pm BST on Monday 8 April.