Jon Rahm plays a shot during the final round of the 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open. | Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The PGA Tour suspended Jon Rahm because of his move to LIV Golf, thus giving an opportunity for three other players.
The PGA Tour has suspended Jon Rahm indefinitely, abiding by its precedence for any player who joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit.
Many in the golfing world—including myself—have noted how big of a loss Rahm is to the tour. After all, he is the defending Masters champion, a U.S. Open champion, and an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour. His otherworldly skill and brilliant presence of mind have led many to believe he can be the greatest European player ever.
But he decided to leave the PGA Tour and its history for a new opportunity with LIV Golf.
“In accordance with the PGA Tour Tournament Regulations, Jon Rahm has been notified that he is suspended and no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play due to his association with a series of unauthorized tournaments,” a memo to PGA Tour players read, per Rex Hoggard of the Golf Channel.
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Jon Rahm during the 2023 Tour Championship.
“This has resulted in adjustments to both the 2022-2023 FedEx Cup Playoffs & Eligibility Points List through the Playoffs and through the FedEx Cup Fall. Should any additional changes occur, the FedEx Cup Playoffs & Eligibility Points List will continue to update through the conclusion of the 2023 calendar year, with final eligibility for the 2024 season being set on Dec. 31, 2023.”
If Rahm had stayed on the PGA Tour, the Spaniard would have been invited to each Signature Event throughout 2024—thanks to his standing within the top 50 of the 2023 FedEx Cup rankings.
Next year’s Signature Events will have elevated purses, limited fields, and greater exposure. For someone on the periphery of being an elite player, earning a spot in one of these tournaments can change the course of one’s career.
That could happen to Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, who jumps from 51st to 50th in the FedEx Cup standings thanks to Rahm’s departure. Hughes has two PGA Tour wins in his career: the 2016 RSM Classic and the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship, both of which came in a playoff.
For him to earn a spot in all Signature Events could pay massive dividends down the road.
But Rahm jumping to LIV will help others as well. Every player behind Hughes in the standings moves up one spot as well.
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Alex Smalley hits a shot during the 2023 RSM Classic.
Alex Smalley, who has never won on the PGA Tour, moves up to 60th, which earns him a spot in AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational—the first two Signature Events of the 2024 season. The top-10 finishers from the FedEx Cup Fall—not otherwise exempt—earned spots in the fields at Pebble Beach and Riviera.
To put this significance in perspective, Smalley has earned $4.76 million during his two-year career on the PGA Tour. Now, he will compete in two events that each award $4 million to the winner. A strong finish would undoubtedly change the trajectory of his career.
Farther down the list lies Carl Yuan, who jumps from 126th to 125th in the rankings. He now earns a PGA Tour card for the 2024 season. The top 125 players from the prior year’s FedEx Cup standings earn membership for the subsequent season. That will help Yuan’s job security for the next 12 months.
And then, finally, Paul Haley, a 35-year-old Korn Ferry Tour journeyman, moves from 151st to 150th, thus earning conditional status on the PGA Tour for the 2024 season. That means he will have opportunities to play on the PGA Tour, but will have to play well to earn a spot in Signature Events. He will likely spend most of his time playing full-field events and in alternate fields, like the Barracuda Championship.
Nevertheless, having conditional status is better than having no status at all.
Regardless, Rahm’s exit is a significant loss for the PGA Tour. But it also helps a few PGA Tour players. And who knows? Perhaps one of these players will seize the opportunity and emerge victorious in 2024. Talk about changing the course of one’s career—and life overall.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
