Tour Confidential: Men’s Olympic Golf preview, Jon Rahm wins, best values

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week we look ahead to the men’s Olympic Golf competition, discuss Jon Rahm’s first LIV Golf victory, the best deals in golf and more.

The PGA Tour is off this week for the men’s Olympic Golf competition, which begins Thursday at Le Golf National outside of Paris. With golf now competing in the Games a third time, do you expect interest in the event to increase as well?

Sean Zak, senior writer (@Sean_Zak): I definitely expect a bump. Mostly because of the time zone difference between Paris and Tokyo. Fans in the States will be able to catch the final round of the leaders, mostly in full if they’d like. It could be Rory McIlroy vs. Scottie Scheffler, if the IGF is lucky. It could be Shub Sharma against C.T. Pan, which would be different but fun, too. Mostly, the medals will get handed out around 11 a.m. on the East Coast. That seems great! And if there’s a playoff — which there likely will be — even better.

Zephyr Melton, assistant editor (@zephyrmelton): I’m sure the hardcore fans will be more engaged than three years ago in Tokyo, but as far as the average Olympics fan goes, I’m not sure golf will garner much interest. There are too many other popular Olympic sports for golf to be a huge draw.

Nick Dimengo, instruction editor (@ndimengo): I do. It’s another opportunity to see many of the best players in the world compete against one another, so golf fans should be interested. Plus, who doesn’t like it when LIV guys and PGA Tour guys get together at an event?

What’s one storyline golf fans need to follow when the 60-player field tees it up on Thursday?

Zak: I’m pretty curious about the LIV contingent at this tournament. They’re not playing for the mega-million-dollar purses they’re used to, but they’ve shown up nonetheless hoping to earn something unique from this championship season. For a guy like Jon Rahm, it could make what has been a very frustrating year a bit more palatable.

Melton: It’ll be fun to watch Xander defend his gold after the stellar major season he put together. If he or Scottie can nab a gold in Paris, the player-of-the-year race will have another bullet point to consider.

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Dimengo: I agree with Zephyr and will be keeping a close eye on Schauffele. Not only is he coming off a victory at the Open Championship, but he’s also defending his Olympic gold medal. Can he keep it going?

Jon Rahm, who signed a mega-deal with LIV Golf before this season, picked up his first individual victory on Sunday in the UK after Tyrrell Hatton three-putted on the 18th green and made bogey. Who was this win more important for: Rahm, or LIV Golf?

Zak: Oh, this was way bigger for Rahm. LIV’s third season was all about his arrival. And we’ve tracked it. It has been … OK, but not great. The most-viewed videos we’ve seen of him on the course have been of him cussing about this or that, rather than some golfing feat. So to turn that narrative — even after the major season has passed — still feels important.

Melton: It’s a big win for LIV to see their biggest star finally break through, but this is a significant win for Rahm, too. He hasn’t won since the 2023 Masters, so getting the monkey off his back must feel good.

Dimengo: It’s hard to say Rahm because, well, is this really up there with some of the other victories he’s had in his career? Not really. Sure, it gives him some validation for signing the massive deal with LIV Golf, but the win itself is more beneficial to the league since it can now market Rahm as a LIV winner.

Speaking of LIV, Joaquin Niemann said he’s “pretty optimistic” that there will be some sort of pathway created for LIV golfers to get into majors next year, which wasn’t the case the past two years. Do you share his optimism?

Zak: I certainly share his optimism. But I’d much rather see a pathway for them back to the PGA Tour, considering we are now 14 months since Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Jay Monahan signed the Framework Agreement in 2023 between the Tour and the Saudi PIF. I know a lot has happened since then, but that is far more important than a couple of spots here and there for LIV players in the 2025 PGA Championship.

Melton: Yes, I’d imagine there will be a pathway into the majors for LIV players once the “merger” details get hashed out. Although I’m sure there will still be some complaining from LIV stars about needing more spots. The victim mentality won’t go away easily.

Dimengo: Once we get the (long-awaited) details regarding the merger, I’m sure there will be an easier path for the LIV guys to get into majors. What that looks like is anyone’s guess, but the goal should always be to get the most talented golfers in the field.

Jhonattan Vegas won the 3M Open on Sunday at TPC Twin Cities, besting Max Greyserman by a shot. While the field for the 3M didn’t contain a ton of star-power, there were plenty of interesting storylines focusing on pros trying to battle for positioning in the FedEx Cup standings with just one event (the Wyndham Championship) remaining. Since only 70 players now make the playoffs, could you argue that it’s actually improved the interest level for some of these late-season tournaments that don’t have a bunch of big names?

Zak: That’s absolutely one of the important results of changing the format for the PGA Tour. In a non-Olympics year, we might have had an even stronger field for the 3M, like when the tournament benefitted from Justin Thomas entering in hot pursuit of some FedEx Cup points last year. And beyond the top 70, you’ve got players really trying to get into, say, the top 42 or so, knowing that the 2025 Signature Events are on the line for the top 50 after the first week of the playoffs as well. Players think about this stuff all year long, whether they want to admit it or not.

Melton: These late-season events may be more important for the golfers, but I’m not convinced it makes the casual fan any more engaged. With the post-major-season burnout, it’s hard to get hyped about dudes battling to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Dimengo: It’s hard to envision many golf fans sitting inside on a nice summer day deciding to take in all of the 3M Open on TV, but I personally think these smaller Tour events are fun. They mean a ton to the golfers, especially the ones on the fringe of the FedEx Cup standings, so there’s a lot going on — as we witnessed this weekend with such a crowded leaderboard. That’s good for golf.

Thanks to a new partnership between Pebble Beach Company and Youth on Course, Spyglass Hill is now setting aside one tee time a day (four players) for Youth on Course members who can play a world-renowned course that’s normally $495 for just $5. Now that’s a steal. What’s your favorite value you’ve stumbled upon during your travels?

Zak: That $490 discount is going to be tough to beat. But I will say I’ve never had a bad day at San Francisco’s Presidio Golf Course, which has resident discounts but doesn’t completely gouge the visitor in the process. You can play a twilight round in the middle of the week for under $60, get some lovely views of the city and then roll right into town for a late, lovely dinner.

Melton: It’s hard to beat the greens fees at Bethpage Black for in-state residents (about $75). Playing a major-caliber course for under $100 is one heck of a deal.

Dimengo: I once walked into a bar with a buddy on a Friday during a trip to Eastern Washington, shared a conversation with a couple other young guys, asked them where a good public golf course would be and ended up getting invited to a free round the next day. The course? Gamble Sands. I’d say that’s a pretty good value, right?

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