Jon Rahm’s name echoed around Chapultepec Golf Club on Sunday, but the Spaniard’s six-shot triumph at LIV Golf Mexico City unfolded against a backdrop of chaos and uncertainty. While Rahm delivered one of his most commanding performances yet, the future of the very tour he now dominates was being called into question.
A Week of Uncertainty, Then Rahm Takes Control
The week began with rumblings that threatened to overshadow any drama on the course. Reports suggested Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the financial engine behind LIV Golf since its bombastic 2022 launch, could be preparing to pull its support. The spectre of collapse hung over every tee shot and putt. Power outages struck the course on Tuesday, and the streaming feed cut out for two hours during the opening round, fueling speculation that something deeper was amiss.
By midweek, LIV chief executive Scott O’Neil tried to steady nerves with an email to staff, claiming that the season would continue “uninterrupted and at full throttle.” Yet doubts persisted. It was left to the players to provide the spectacle.
Rahm arrived in Mexico reeling from a disappointing Masters, where he finished tied for 38th. As he stood on Thursday afternoon surveying his opening shots, belief was in short supply. “If you were to tell me last week on Thursday afternoon that I’d be winning by a six-shot margin this week, I would not believe you because of how bad I played,” Rahm confessed. But something shifted as tournament play began.
He opened Sunday’s final round with a birdie on the short par-four second, then electrified the gallery by holing out for eagle at the very next hole. From there, Rahm never looked back. He delivered a bogey-free seven-under-par 64 to finish 21 under for the week, six clear of countryman David Puig. The victory marked his second individual title in just six events this season after failing to win a single one last year.
Team Triumphs and Personal Redemption
The drama didn’t end with Rahm’s solo charge. His Legion XIII team, including Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, and Caleb Surratt, finally broke through for their first win of the year. They stormed home at 45 under par, nine shots ahead of their nearest rivals.
McKibbin, who finished joint fifth after a level-par closing round, pocketed $615,000 but seemed more focused on team glory than personal gain. “To get the first win of the season has been nice,” McKibbin admitted after helping Legion XIII secure victory. “We sort of have been close all year and to get over the line today was very nice.” His admiration for Rahm was clear: “Getting to play with Jon pretty much every week we play and just to see how good he is, he’s a hard guy to beat… it means you’re playing well.”
For Rahm himself, this win carried extra weight. Chapultepec had been a scene of disappointment back in 2017 when he came up short during its World Golf Championship days. Now he had conquered it in style.
Tour Faces Questions Despite Celebrations
All around him, though, uncertainty simmered. Bryson DeChambeau, who had been chasing his own slice of LIV history as he aimed for three straight wins, withdrew mid-tournament with a wrist injury rather than risk further aggravation.
Players brushed off questions about investment woes and looming collapse even as rumours intensified that after spending more than $5 billion on LIV’s experiment, Saudi Arabia’s PIF could be tightening purse strings or seeking new backers. Official assurances did little to quiet speculation in locker rooms or among fans tracking every development online.
As night fell over Mexico City, LIV announced it would return again next year, defiant in the face of doubts about its future and determined to project stability even as its foundations reportedly tremble.
Next up: Washington DC hosts LIV Golf Virginia from May 7-10, with Rahm now standing tall as both champion and symbol of a league unwilling to go quietly into golf’s night.
