Jon Rahm has been one of the best golfers in the world since he burst onto the scene with a win at the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open.
Since then, the Spanish star has quickly risen up the Official World Golf Rankings and has been a staple ever since. Rahm ascended to world No. 1 and held the spot for a total of 52 weeks.
But after a move to LIV Golf — which does not get OWGR points because it doesn’t meet the criteria — Rahm has slowly slid down the ladder.
According to OWGR expert Nosferatu, Rahm will reach a point in the world rankings he hasn’t occupied since he sank that 60-foot putt to win the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open: he will drop outside the top 50 in the world.
Rahm’s move to LIV obviously plays a massive role in his rankings plummet. Per DataGolf, which takes into account LIV events, Rahm is currently the no. 4 golfer in the world behind Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele.
But Rahm also had a poor major season in 2024. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship and finished tied for 45th at the Masters. Rahm didn’t play in the U.S. Open due to an injury but returned to post a T-7 finish at The Open. He also posted three top-10 finishes on the DP World Tour in the fall before missing the cut at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January. Rahm did win twice on LIV last season and has posted back-to-back top-10 finishes to start this season.
Former LIV CEO Greg Norman pulled LIV’s application for OWGR points after it had already been rejected.
Rahm remains adamant that LIV players deserve OWGR points. But he understands that he has to deal with the consequences of his decision.
“They told me early on, I think even before I signed in the early conversations, that they were not going to pursue those discussions to the same level because they knew where it was directed,” Rahm said in Dubai in January. I think at this point to not give LIV World Ranking points and the credibility it deserves, I think is wrong.
“I understand we’ve all made a decision, and it’s not as easy as it sounds, but to say that LIV players don’t deserve some spots in major championships, I think, is wrong, and I hope that evolves into what it should be, right…. The World Ranking points, need to figure something out because it’s not fair for anybody in that sense.”
While the USGA and R&A have recently created exemptions for LIV, OWGR points do not appear to be in LIV’s future.
With that being the case, Rahm will continue to plummet in the rankings unless he delivers a better major season than he did in 2024.
