Jon Rahm goes into the final round of the PGA Championship with a fantastic chance of securing a third major title in his career.
Rahm posted a round of 67 on Saturday in Philadelphia. The Spaniard made five birdies and two bogeys to put himself on four under par for the week at Aronimink.
Of course, Rahm’s performance this week is even further under the microscope amid doubts over the future of LIV Golf.
Rahm took a significant gamble when he decided to join LIV back in December 2023. While the financial rewards were obviously impossible to turn down, it was always going to be fascinating to see what impact the decision had on his career.
Jon Rahm asked how significant for LIV Golf him winning the PGA Championship would be
He has not yet registered a top five in a major since joining LIV. But with the league facing a fight to remain in existence beyond this year, it could be significant if he manages to get the job done and wins the PGA Championship this week.
It would send out a message that playing on LIV does not destroy a player’s chances of winning a major. And it would potentially silence some of those who believe that Rahm made a big mistake in joining the league.
Interestingly, Rahm was reluctant to answer how meaningful a win at Aronimink would be for all of those on LIV as he spoke to the media after his third round.
“Honestly, in a week like this, one, I’m thinking more about myself. I’m not going to take on anything outside what I can control when it comes to competing tomorrow,” he said.
“If I do get it done and I sit here again tomorrow, then you can ask me the same question, and I’ll give you an answer. But what it would mean for Spain as well in the grand slam tally and being the last leg of the grand slam for us as well, there’s a lot of things that would mean a lot, but too much of it is out of my control.
“So hopefully I can keep doing what I’ve done so far this week, especially today, and I get the chance to answer that tomorrow.”
LIV Golf desperately need a Jon Rahm victory at Aronimink
Of course, Rahm has left the door open to provide a different answer should he get across the line on Sunday.
But it is surprising that he is seemingly not prepared to talk about what it could mean to LIV, particularly as his win in Mexico City did appear to mean so much to him.
LIV desperately needs the likes of Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau to publicly show their support for the league. They need new investors, and those investors are unlikely to come in if the biggest names are likely to walk away or potentially looking for a way out.
It would be a huge victory for LIV if Rahm became only the third player to win a major while playing in the league this week.
However, his comments hardly feel like a ringing endorsement.
