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Imago

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Imago

Jon Rahm wears his emotions on his sleeve. When his golf balls go into disarray, or when he accidentally hits a patron, you can see it on his face and hear his agitated voice. At times he may throw his clubs, but then he apologizes soon after. That’s who Rahm is, and while his anger is mostly shown during events, this time it is different. The Spaniard is playing another LIV Golf event after a 7-week break that halted the breakaway circuit.

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As LIV Golf opens its doors once again in the United Kingdom, it has let many younger and older fans in, which gave a chance to see the hidden side of Rahm. After the first round in Uttoxeter, the 2x major champion was on the range again, practicing his drive. And behind him stood a 6-year-old Leo. He sees Rahm as his golf hero and has always wanted to meet him. This time, the LIV Golf star made it come true. Leo was eyeing Rahm expectantly as he couldn’t believe him standing right in front of him. And a few seconds later, he also saw his idol talk.

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Rahm fist bumped the kid as he came down to his eye level and asked, “What are you doing?”

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In awe of his presence, Leo shyly replied that he was watching and certainly taking notes too. But the club in Leo’s hand indicated he hoped to play with him, so Rahm assured him that if they needed a backup, Leo should be ready. With that, he signed their hats, shook his parents’ hands, and, as it was getting a little awkward, told him he didn’t need to go anywhere but stand behind him.

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A few words and an attentive gesture made Leo remember Rahm forever and left a long-lasting mark. But can Rahm do it forever? The 31-year-old pro has been on LIV Golf for over two years now. In these years, LIV Golf has achieved many successes: generated $97.1 million in Australia with over 100,000 fans watching it on-course, pushed the four majors to acknowledge LIV golfers and give them exemptions, finally got the OWGR points, and more. And yet, it was not sufficient to retain PIF as the investor.

In April, PIF pulled out its funding after suffering over a $1 billion loss through LIV Golf. It forced CEO Scott O’Neil to knock on every door he could find so that golfers wouldn’t leave the league. After all, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, the breakaway circuit’s two biggest stars, had already left. The sudden financial issue put the league in chaos and put Rahm’s future under threat.

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In May 2026, the Spaniard addressed whether he wanted out of his contract. He said, “I’m pretty sure they did a pretty good job when they drafted that, so I don’t see many ways out.”

His candid confession hinted that maybe Rahm was looking to exit LIV Golf as well. However, he has stayed with the league and even admitted that investing his own money to save LIV is not out of the picture. Well, if he commits to saving the league and LIV Golf does gain the $350 million from any investor, LIV will survive. If not, Rahm will not go down with the league, as he has already secured DP World Tour membership.

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Khambe Huda Imran

1,569 Articles

Huda Khambe is a Golf Writer for EssentiallySports. Growing up watching Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam bag one major after the other, Huda Khambe set herself on a path to becoming a sports writer early on. With a year of prior experience in writing, Huda now brings the greens to life with her unique insights on her favorite storylines, such as Jack Nicklaus's record rivalry with Tiger Woods and its impact on both stars. Off hours too, Huda's life involves sports, with her either reading athletes' biographies or immersing herself into livestreams of Valorant and Counterstrike.

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Firdows Matheen

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