SerpApi.Org
It may just be a matter of time, but an analysis of the recent past reveals a worrying trend for Jon Rahm: contending for major championships has proven difficult for him in recent months. Only the 2025 PGA Championship and this year's edition have seen the Barrika native in the mix for the title during a period where Rahm has struggled to take that next step. The latest example came this past week at the British Open, where Rahm finished in a tie for 46th place. Despite finishing at even par, he ended up ten strokes behind the champion, Ryan Fox.
Specifically, since 2024. Rahm had a brilliant year in Grand Slam tournaments in 2023. He reached the pinnacle of the sport by winning the "tournament of tournaments," the Masters at Augusta. He also secured a runner-up finish at the British Open and a tenth-place finish at the US Open. If 2023 wasn't the best year of his life in the majors, it’s because 2021 was even better: US Open champion, third at the British Open, fifth at the Masters, and eighth at the PGA Championship. A truly remarkable run.
Rahm, results
It was late in 2023 that Rahm announced his move to LIV—the Saudi-backed circuit now dogged by rumors regarding its financial sustainability. By now, in 2026, three full major seasons have passed since that move; yet, after eleven of the twelve tournaments played (Jon missed the 2024 US Open due to a left foot injury), the impression is that he has only really been in contention at the 2025 and 2026 PGA Championships. Given Rahm’s quality, making that breakthrough may just be a matter of time, but recent years haven't been his best on golf's biggest stages.
Across those eleven tournaments, Rahm has secured four top-10 finishes (seventh at the 2024 British Open, eighth at the 2025 PGA, seventh at the 2025 US Open, and second at the 2026 PGA). However, he was only truly in the hunt for the title in two of them; in the other two instances, his top-10 finishes were the result of charging from behind on the final day—at the 2024 British Open, he finished over par in the first and third rounds, while at the 2025 US Open, he climbed many spots during the final round.
He did, in fact, contend for victory in two of those events. The most notable instance was his eighth-place finish at the 2025 PGA Championship. Rahm played three and a half rounds of high-quality golf, but a closing stretch of bogey-double bogey-double bogey took him out of title contention and dropped him down the leaderboard—though he did manage to hold onto a top-10 spot. He had mounted a genuine, spirited challenge for that tournament.
His other recent major championship contention came at the 2026 PGA Championship. Rahm finished second; while it is true that Aaron Rai never really opened the door for a comeback, Jon posted four excellent rounds—with a par in the third round being his worst score of the week. In fact, this PGA was the first major since the 2021 Masters where Rahm did not record a single round over par; Rai deserves immense credit for securing the victory with an impeccable performance.
However, the prevailing impression is that those two tournaments have been the exception rather than the rule for Rahm in the majors. He acknowledged this himself before starting his campaign at the 2026 British Open: "I’d like to be in the mix more often—just to have a chance," he remarked.
The door was open for him to contend over the weekend, but the first hole at Royal Birkdale derailed everything with two wayward tee shots: one in the third round that effectively ended his title hopes, and another in the fourth—just as he had a chance to put pressure on the leaders—resulting in a devastating double bogey that instantly dashed those prospects. Jon Rahm’s long-awaited breakthrough in the majors will have to wait until at least 2027; until then, it remains unfinished business.
Like our content? Follow Tennis World USA on MSN.
The Post Rahm, unfinished business since joining LIV appeared first on Tennis World USA
