Jon Rahm heads into the Masters looking more confident than ever
Jon Rahm is looking sharp ahead of The Masters, a tournament from which he already has one green jacket. There’s every chance he’ll be right back in the mix again next month.
When Jon Rahm rolled in a birdie putt on the 15th hole during the final round at LIV Golf Hong Kong, it came with a fist pump and a smile. He knew then what everyone else could already tell: his first title of 2024 was all but wrapped up.
And with that moment, he sent a clear message to his rivals. Scheffler, McIlroy and Hovland would have taken notice. They’ll be watching just as closely at Augusta National, where Rahm returns as defending champion.
Jon Rahm is picking up where he left off as LIV title defence picks up pace
It is still hard to measure how much LIV events actually prepare a player for the majors, especially since no LIV golfer has won one since the 2024 US Open.
But Rahm seems to have found another gear early in 2026. Since leaving the PGA Tour in December 2023, he’s only finished outside the top 10 once.
Still, he already looks set to have the individual title sewn up by the midway point of this season.
Rahm took second place in Riyadh and Adelaide, though he let a big lead slip away in Australia, where Anthony Kim came from five shots back to win.
His victory in Hong Kong was his first since 2024, and he stayed comfortably ahead throughout most of that final round.
Considering he won his first Masters just three years ago – part of a strong record at Augusta that includes five top-10 finishes – it would not be surprising to see him back in contention again soon.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are still searching for their best form
You’d have to go back to 2021 to find a Masters winner who wasn’t one of the current top three players in the world – Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, or Rory McIlroy.
Scheffler has already picked up a win this year, looking strong at The American Express. But by his high standards, recent performances haven’t quite hit the mark.
Slow starts have been an issue, and he’s now at risk of finishing outside the top 10 in consecutive PGA Tour events for the first time in nearly a year.
McIlroy, on the other hand, pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational before round three due to a back injury suffered during warm-ups.
There’s optimism that he’ll be fit for The Players Championship next week. But like Scheffler, he hasn’t quite found his best form yet.
A miraculous recovery will also be needed if he’s going to defend his title at TPC Sawgrass this year.
Meanwhile, Rahm has put any doubts about his winless stretch behind him and appears to be hitting form just when it matters most.
And importantly, he seems settled on LIV Golf. Even after having a chance to return to the PGA Tour, Rahm’s decision to stay put made a clear statement about where he wants to play his golf.
This time last year, though, people were questioning whether Rahm was stuck with LIV because of contractual obligations. There’s no doubt that preparation for majors is easier on the PGA Tour these days.
But right now, though, it doesn’t look like it would matter where Rahm played from – he still looks just as dangerous as ever across all major tournaments this season.
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