Jon Rahm’s season debut was reduce brief Friday after a couple of errant drives led to a second-round 77 and a missed reduce on the Dubai Desert Traditional.
Rahm, who opened with 69 in his event debut, made a pair of double bogeys – together with taking two penalty drops on the par-5 18th gap – to overlook simply his third reduce since 2021.
“Not the way in which you wish to begin the yr,” Rahm advised reporters after the spherical, “but when there’s any optimistic aspect of it’s it’s the start of the yr. There’s loads of golf and loads of months to look ahead to. I’ve a fairly clear thought of what I must work on. So these subsequent two weeks, go dwelling and attempt to get higher.”
Rahm’s subsequent scheduled begin would be the LIV season opener, Feb. 6-8, in Saudi Arabia.
On that entrance, it’s been a busy week for the league.
LIV formally unveiled its new CEO, Scott O’Neil, who will substitute Greg Norman, and introduced its new TV cope with Fox Sports activities.
Rahm mentioned that O’Neil, a former NBA and NHL govt, ought to have a “very optimistic influence” on the league.
“Despite the fact that Greg has handled me nice, I believe having anyone like Scott, who’s a little bit bit exterior the world of golf however very a lot on this planet of sport, I believe makes him sort of an ideal match for that,” Rahm mentioned.
“I believe, sadly, there’s presumably a little bit an excessive amount of dangerous blood between Greg and the governing our bodies, and to have anyone exterior of which may assist the scenario. Plus, his total view together with his expertise within the NBA, and based mostly on what I speak to him about and the imaginative and prescient he has and the keenness, I believe he’s going to be a really optimistic influence for LIV and Fox as properly.”
Earlier this week, Rahm mentioned that skilled golf is in a “golden period” with limitless potential, even because the PGA Tour and LIV’s monetary backers, the Saudi Public Funding Fund, attempt to hammer out a deal that might assist reunify the game.
Rahm mentioned O’Neil’s presence and recent perspective may assist the proceedings.
“Having an outsider – and I say outsider as a result of he has not been concerned – may very well be an excellent factor in the case of him sitting down on the desk with the opposite governing our bodies,” Rahm mentioned. “An out of doors perspective, and perhaps a much less threatening picture, may assist that as properly.”
