Jon Rahm has called fellow Spaniard and Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal one of his idols.

Olazabal, however, recently criticized Rahm’s move to LIV Golf. 

“I respect that you go (to LIV) with those conditions, with the huge amount of millions that they put on the table for you,” Olazabal told the Spanish outlet El País.

“I respect that, but I was surprised because Jon had been very clear in his words and because he had an extraordinary future and the opportunity to make history in this sport, to write golden pages of golf. And I don’t know if he’ll be able to do it now.

“I don’t know if playing LIV is the best preparation to be able to stand out in the (majors). From my point of view it’s not the best option. Above all, it can hurt him in terms of competitiveness.”

Last year, Rahm finished first in LIV’s seasonlong standings, but placed 45th in his Masters title defense, missed the cut at the PGA Championship and then missed the U.S. Open with a foot injury. But he did finish T7 at the British Open. 

Rahm was ranked No. 3 in the world when he left the PGA Tour for LIV in December 2023. Now, as LIV events do not currently offer world ranking points, the 30-year-old is No. 54, recently dropping outside the top 50 for the first time since 2017. 

The 59-year-old Olazabal, though, doesn’t doubt Rahm’s desire for greatness. 

“I don’t question Jon’s self-esteem, work and attitude at any time,” said Olazabal, the 1994 and ‘99 Masters champion. “When he gets to the Masters this year he’s going to give it his all and he’s going to prepare himself in the best way, but the rest of the season, playing 12 or 14 tournaments without a cut, with 54 players … it’s not the same as playing against 150 and knowing that you can go home.”

At last year’s Masters, Rahm basically said the opposite of what Olazabal believes. 

“I understand there’s less people,” Rahm said. “I understand the team format is a little different. I understand we’re going shotgun and things are a little different to how they are in a PGA Tour event. But the pressure is there. I want to win as bad as I wanted to win before I moved on to LIV. Going down the stretch when you’re in contention is the exact same feelings. That really doesn’t change.”

With conflicting views, this year’s Masters Champions Dinner might have just gotten a little more interesting.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Masters Champion Says Fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm Hurt by Move to LIV Golf.