Jon Rahm names four things he misses the most about PGA Tour after urging LIV Golf change

The 2023 Masters champion defected to LIV Golf in December but still harbours plenty of affection for the PGA Tour and even submitted a suggestion for the Saudi breakaway league

Jon Rahm admits he misses the PGA Tour – and four golf courses in particular – but confesses he is ready to defend his Masters title.

The 2023 champion sent shockwaves when he defected to the Saudi breakaway league in December. LIV not only hosts fewer tournaments than the PGA but also only plays across three days instead of four. That lack of playing time is not a concern for the Spaniard, however.

Rahm has so far competed in five LIV events, with tied-third his best finish to date. Rahm has returned to Augusta National this week 12 months on from his triumph but now walks about the club with his team ‘Legion XIII’ insignia on show.

But his affection for the PGA Tour is still clear, with a fondness for four golf courses in particular.

“There’s some venues that I miss not being at, not only because I won but just because I love it, right? And that’s the reason why I played well in those tournaments,” Rahm said on Tuesday morning. “Not being at Palm Springs, Torrey, Phoenix and L.A. wasn’t the easiest. And I’ll keep saying that because those are venues that I absolutely love.

“And driving by Phoenix as often as I had to, seeing the stands, and knowing that I wasn’t going to be there was quite hard. Right? I still love the PGA Tour, and I still hope everything the best, and I still hope that at some point I can compete there again.”

In the build-up to this year’s Masters Rahm called for LIV to play 72-hole events instead of 54 but insisted any lack of playing time has not affected his preparation.

“Well, you’re saying like playing a little bit less is a bad thing. Which I wouldn’t think it is,” Rahm said. “If anything, if I had would go based on how I feel today, I feel physically better than I did last year. But then once competition starts, it doesn’t really matter.

“Once the gun goes off, whatever you feel is out the window; you got to go out there and post a score. “So it’s not something that I have in mind, but I do feel – I do feel fresh and ready for it.”

Rahm’s Masters win last year was seen as something of a victory for the PGA Tour at the time. Rahm admits part of the agenda behind his move to LIV Golf would accelerate any talks between the two parties.

He said: “I hoped (my move would be) a step towards some kind of agreement, yes. Or more of an agreement or expedited agreement. But, unfortunately, it’s not up to me. But I would hope it would be something that would help expedite that process. But at the end of the day, I still did what I thought was best for myself.”