Jon Rahm’s incredible fall from golf’s elite rankings is about to hit a new milestone – he’s dropping out of the world’s top 50 for the first time since 2017.
It’s a pretty shocking development for the Spanish superstar, who was ranked World No. 1 not too long ago and sat at third place just 10 months back when he won The Masters.
But here’s the thing: Rahm’s still playing amazing golf. He hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in any LIV Golf tournament he’s entered, except for one he had to skip because of a foot injury.
He’s actually won twice on the LIV tour already – at their UK and Chicago events. And he just claimed their individual championship for 2024.
So why the rankings nosedive? It’s all about the OWGR points – or lack of them. Since moving to LIV Golf, Rahm can’t earn any world ranking points, no matter how well he plays.
The last time Rahm was ranked this low, he was just breaking through on the PGA Tour. That was back at Torrey Pines in 2017, when his win at the Farmers Insurance Open launched him from 137th to 46th in the world.
The good news for Rahm? He doesn’t need to worry about getting into the majors this year. His 2023 Masters victory made sure of that.
And there’s more hope for LIV players trying to get into the big events. Both the US Open and The Open Championship have created new paths for LIV golfers to qualify:
* The US Open will take the top non-exempt LIV player from their top three as of May 19
* The Open will give a spot to the highest-ranked non-exempt player in LIV’s top five after their Dallas event in June
For a two-time major champion who’s still at the top of his game, these ranking numbers might not tell the whole story. But they sure show how much golf’s landscape has changed.
