A significant champion who gave up the European Ryder Cup captaincy to affix LIV Golf for US$50 million (A$77m) has been despatched to {the golfing} wilderness following the breakaway tour’s particular person season finale final weekend.
Jon Rahm received the season-long particular person title for a second straight 12 months, extremely collating extra factors than Joaquin Niemann regardless of failing to win a single match, whereas the Chilean received 5 instances.
Rahm completed runner-up for the fourth time this 12 months on the remaining occasion in Indianapolis, dropping in a playoff to Niemann’s Torque teammate Sebastian Munoz, who shot a mind-blowing 12-under par 59 within the opening spherical.
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“Nonetheless barely bittersweet,” Rahm stated of his emotions about successful the person title which comes with US$18 million (A$27.9m) in prize cash.
“I do know I’m alleged to be completely happy; it’s an amazing second. But it surely simply doesn’t really feel nice to complete the 12 months dropping two playoffs.
“To have the ability to win the season with out truly successful a match, I do know finally I’ll be pleased with that.
“I did what I wanted to do as we speak. I went on the market, shot 60. I had one dangerous swing all day on 14 which price me a bogey, however gave myself one of the best probability.”
Rahm added: “Proper now it’s barely extra one thing I’m going to undergo over somewhat bit extra, and it might by no means be replicated. … One may argue [Niemann] was in all probability the extra deserving man to win this.”
The Spaniard was finally rewarded for his consistency together with his worst consequence being tied eleventh in 13 tournaments, whereas on the different finish of the standings, excessive profile signings have been actually held accountable for the primary time in LIV’s historical past.
Henrik Stenson, the 2016 Open champion, despatched shockwaves all through the world of golf when he defected to LIV in 2022 after being was named European Ryder Cup captain for the occasion in Rome the next 12 months.
Three years later, the 49-year-old Swede has been relegated from the Saudi-backed league, whereas European captaincy substitute Luke Donald prepares to defend the trophy his workforce received in Italy two years in the past at Bethpage Black in New York subsequent month.
It’s a critical decline in fortunes for Stenson.
He now faces an unsure future after being pipped within the standings by Majesticks co-captain Ian Poulter, a fellow former Ryder Cup star, who completed with 4 straight birdies and a par to avoid wasting himself from the drop zone.
Stenson is one in every of six relegated golfers who completed exterior of the highest 48 within the 54-player standings, alongside the likes of Mito Periera, who infamously double bogeyed the 72nd gap on the 2022 PGA Championship to overlook a playoff after strolling to the 18th with a one-shot lead, and Anthony Kim, a former PGA Tour star who returned to the skilled sport with LIV after greater than a decade as a recluse from the game.
They don’t seem to be essentially perpetually banished from LIV as a path again to the circuit stays open through the Asian Tour’s Worldwide Collection or LIV Golf’s Promotion occasion.
If Stenson can’t play his means again in these tournaments, he could also be pressured to turn out to be a non-playing captain of the Majesticks.
But when we needs to maintain taking part in, he might must dig into his pockets and pay the fines the DP World Tour have imposed upon him.
LIV have been paying their gamers fines for them in the event that they need to play on the previously named European Tour, however will stop doing so on the finish of this 12 months.
Stenson has not performed a DP World Tour occasion since he crossed to LIV three years in the past, and his fines determine could also be an eye-watering sum after fellow Majesticks co-captain Lee Westwood instructed The Telegraph final month that his fines tally was “about £900,000” (A$1.87m).
Stenson may little question really feel laborious completed by as a number of of his LIV colleagues have gone unpunished for his or her poor play prior to now.
Final 12 months, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson completed within the relegation zone, however held his place due to the “enterprise case” of him being the largest drawcard on the workforce he captains, the RangeGoats.
The identical leniency was utilized to Brandon Grace of the all-South African Stinger GC.
Kim, who has been a wildcard participant not aligned to a workforce, was additionally spared demotion 12 months in the past.
The selections have been extensively criticised, fuelling arguments that LIV is simply exhibition golf.
However Greg Norman’s substitute as CEO Scott O’Neill put his foot down and stated that within the identify of legitimacy, excessive profile gamers wouldn’t be spared relegation.
Periera, who grew to become well-known off the again of that includes in season one of many Netflix documentary Full Swing, felt the wrath of that crackdown.
As his Torque GC teammates excelled to win the workforce title in Indianapolis, Periera suffered his personal disappointment and spoke post-round about his unsure future.
“To be sincere, I used to be actually completely happy for Sebastian, actually completely happy for Joaco, actually completely happy for Carlos,” he stated.
“Clearly how Sebastian performed this match, how Joaco performed this complete 12 months and Carlos additionally. It’s by no means straightforward to play dangerous, however I attempted. I gave my greatest, and we transfer on.
“Hopefully I’ll have extra alternatives sooner or later. If not, I do know I gave my greatest these previous two years. However total actually completely happy for these guys, too, and actually completely happy to get the win with this workforce.
“That, I believe, means quite a bit to me and naturally for them. On that facet, I’m actually completely happy. On the opposite one, I simply know I gave my greatest.”
Kim additionally shared his ideas on relegation, saying on Instagram that regardless of the poor outcomes, his “sport has gotten considerably higher” following his struggles with psychological sickness and dependancy.
“As a lot of y’all that assist me know this was the ultimate occasion of the person season & sadly didn’t have the outcomes this 12 months. On a constructive word my sport has gotten considerably higher even tho the scores def didn’t replicate it however gr8 issues take time,” Kim wrote.
“I’ve plenty of ideas on the final 2 years, my journey in restoration from psychological sickness & dependancy & my future plans. I’ll share on www.anthonykimofficial.com beginning subsequent week that I believe can be fascinating 2 some.”
As a wildcard participant, Kim is formally completed however Stenson and Periera nonetheless have extra golf to play this LIV season.
They’ve the Staff Championship this week, which serves because the precise season finale with groups, together with the sixth-placed, all-Australian, defending champions Ripper GC, going through off in a mixture of stroke play and match play contests to resolve an total winner.
The format has world No.1 Scottie Scheffler muddled.
After the primary spherical of the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship, the penultimate playoff occasion which he received final week off the again of a shocking chip-in on the 71st gap, Scheffler stated he didn’t perceive LIV’s finale construction as he defended the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship change to a pure stroke play occasion, which means any of the tour’s prime 30 can win it.
“Take a look at what LIV is doing with their remaining match. I attempted to examine it the opposite day; I nonetheless can’t work out what they’re attempting to do with the ultimate match,” Scheffler stated.
“It’s not straightforward to determine a real season-long race, and I believe if you’re on the lookout for an fascinating end to the 12 months, I believe we’ve received it down fairly good the place you’ve got 25, 30 weeks to show your self to get into the Tour Championship after which it’s sport on.”
Regardless of the confusion about how LIV’s season involves an in depth, the targets are clear: to create nice separation between the tour’s workforce and particular person facets in addition to larger jeopardy and legitimacy.
The circumstances of Stenson, Periera and Kim ship a powerful message to different gamers, that going ahead LIV is not going to be as comfortable as maybe it has been.