Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Rahm may not be on the PGA Tour anymore, but the reigning Masters champion is paying attention to what Scheffler is doing.
Last year, Scheffler and Jon Rahm competed with each other week after week to see who was the best on Tour. Now that Rahm has his own LIV Golf team, they will only face off four times a year at major championships.
Regardless of what league he plays in, Rahm knows what Scheffler has done on the course and is eager for a chance to slow him down at Augusta National, per Golf Magic.
“I’m fully aware of where Scottie is… I think that’s what’s making this Masters and many other majors going to be so much fun,” Rahm said. “Not only for me and for players but for spectators, is for all of us to be able to play together again and showcase what we’re capable of.”
Scottie Scheffler won back-to-back events on the PGA Tour at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship the last two weeks.
His play has further solidified his position the world’s best player.
The Spaniard will look to hold onto his title and green jacket, but things are different.
Last year Rahm won three times in eight events heading into Augusta. This year, he will have only played in five tournaments and is yet to win on LIV, with his last chance coming a week prior in Florida.
He doesn’t normally play the week before the Masters.
Jon Rahm will offer up an homage to his past at this year’s Champions Dinner. #themasters
— The Masters (@TheMasters) March 19, 2024
How that change in schedule will affect two-time major champion is anyone’s guess.
Scheffler, meanwhile, has won twice in seven events in 2024. He will not play at the Valspar Championship in Tampa, Fla., this week, but the former Texas Longhorn did commit to the Houston Open.
The 27-year-old will likely skip the Valero Texas Open after that to prepare for the Masters, but he should have a better feel for his game than Rahm.
Rahm and the rest of the golfing world will try and put a halt to Scheffler’s momentum, but will that be possible? Scheffler has already proven himself multiple times that he deserves his World No. 1 ranking, but winning in Augusta two years after his first green jacket would fire up discussions of his dominant reign.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
