Golf enthusiasts exited Quail Hollow contemplating whether LIV Golf’s top stars are beginning to lose the sharpness required to win golf’s major championships. This scrutiny intensified after Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, both former major winners fell short during the final moments of a tense PGA Championship.
Both Rahm and DeChambeau found themselves in the thick of contention: Rahm shared the lead through a stretch of birdies while DeChambeau led during his third round. Nevertheless, the infamous “Green Mile” the concluding trio of holes proved decisive.
Rahm faltered with a bogey and two double-bogeys, finishing tied for eighth, while DeChambeau succumbed to late bogeys but secured a joint runner-up spot behind Scottie Scheffler, who ultimately prevailed by five shots.
This outcome has reignited the debate over LIV Golf’s format and its effects on major championship readiness. With LIV featuring 54-hole events and smaller fields, are its stars as battle-hardened as those regularly competing on the PGA Tour?
- Pundits like Brandel Chamblee argue that playing in tougher, week-in, week-out PGA Tour fields keeps players sharper.
- Chamblee emphasized that Scheffler handled maximum pressure, while Rahm and DeChambeau did not deliver in the clutch.
- Paul McGinley added that the intensity of LIV events simply does not match that of the PGA Tour’s crucible.
It’s important to note not all voices are convinced that LIV’s structure is a dealbreaker. Both Brooks Koepka and DeChambeau have claimed majors as LIV members. However, some analysts, such as Ewen Murray, have observed a subtle shift in Rahm’s energy and competitiveness.
With LIV’s guaranteed payouts, Murray questions whether the motivation to perform at the very highest level remains the same: “When the dollar is in the bank before the tee goes in the ground… it must take a little bit of the competitiveness away.”
- DeChambeau returns soon to defend his U.S. Open title, riding good major form.
- Rahm, meanwhile, continues searching for his third major and renewed intensity.
As debate swirls, the question remains: Will Quail Hollow mark a turning point for LIV stars? Or does another close call foreshadow more frustration at golf’s grandest stages? With the U.S. Open on the horizon, the world will watch to see if Rahm, DeChambeau, or other LIV talents can silence the doubters and reestablish their major-winning credentials.
For further details, see the original article on Sky Sports.
