Rahm’s Slow Start at LIV UK: Pressure Mounts on Former Champion

Jon Rahm entered this week’s LIV Golf UK tournament as one of the biggest names in the field and one of the favourites. The 2024 LIV Golf UK champion is under growing pressure after a poor start to the tournament’s opening round on Friday.

Rahm Struggles In LIV Golf UK First Round

Rahm’s round started off steady with a string of pars but he found himself in trouble early when he bogeyed the 3rd hole. He made birdies on the 8th and 10th holes, but a double bogey on the 13th wiped out that progress. A late birdie on the 16th helped him finish at even par for the day in the first round at JCB Golf & Country Club, leaving him tied for 32nd on the leaderboard and well behind top names like Adrián Meronk, Branden Grace, and Joaquín Niemann, who all carded six-under-par 65s to share the lead.

This slow start was unexpected for Rahm, who has been one of LIV’s most consistent performers this season. He came into the tournament ranked second in the season-long standings, just behind Niemann. But with Niemann playing well again and sitting near the top of the leaderboard, Rahm now has work to do if he wants to stay in the title race.

While Rahm’s individual score was disappointing, his team, Legion XIII, is still very much in the mix. Thanks to strong performances from his teammates, they finished the day tied for the team lead at 11-under. That offers some hope, but Rahm knows he must raise his level to help the team and improve his individual chances.

Pressure Building on Rahm To Improve Performance

This week’s event comes just days after The Open Championship, where Rahm also failed to make a big impact. He had entered the last major of the year with high hopes but finished outside the top 10. Now, with back-to-back underwhelming performances, questions are being asked about his form.