BRYSON DECHAMBEAU ISSUES A STATEMENT ABOUT JOHN RAHM AFTER WINNING LIV SOUTH AFRICA PLAYOFF

Photo by WIKUS DE WET / AFP via Getty Images

Bryson DeChambeau birdied the first playoff hole to beat Jon Rahm to the LIV Golf South Africa title on Sunday.

DeChambeau and Rahm finished 72 holes at LIV South Africa on 26-under-par, after both golfers played almost flawless golf throughout the week at The Club at Steyn City.

To make things even sweeter for the American, The Crushers won the team championship as well.

DeChambeau and Rahm are quite clearly LIV Golf‘s two biggest stars and they put on a real show in South Africa this week.

After his win, DeChambeau admitted his driving wasn’t the best at LIV South Africa, and he’ll be desperate to address that in the lead-up to The Masters next month.

The 32-year-old American was still good enough to pip Rahm to the title, though.

And that is obviously no easy task.

Bryson DeChambeau makes declaration about Jon Rahm after LIV South Africa

The two-time major champion was incredibly emotional after winning his fifth LIV title.

After making birdie on the final hole, he was reduced to tears, as the emotions began to pour out of him.

He spoke to reporters immediately after and responded when asked how he managed to maintain focus in spite of the raucous atmosphere at The Club at Steyn City on Sunday.

“Stay in my zone, don’t worry about other people, execute the shots the best way you know how to,“ the American said.

“That’s the best advice I learnt over the course of my career, the experience that I’ve gained. It’s great just to be in wet conditions, windy, weird, finishing not consistent, and still be able to shine through those difficult moments and those difficult stretches and make putts when I needed to.“

“Hats off to Jon Rahm, I’ve got to tell you that guy, gosh he’s too good.

“Oh my gosh, he’s unbelievable. That’s why he’s one of the best in the world. You could see it out here today, shot eight under to finish it off and gave me a hard time to finish this one off, but luckily I hit that three wood in there to 12 feet.“

Jon Rahm’s playoff woes continue

DeChambeau is right; Rahm is a terrific golfer.

However, the fact that he has now lost his last five playoffs will undoubtedly be a big concern for the Spaniard.

On the flip side, DeChambeau has won four of the five professional playoffs he has taken part in.

DeChambeau will be flying high now after his win at LIV Golf South Africa, and with his victory, he will jump back inside the top-30 in the official golf world rankings.

LIV Golf put on a real show in South Africa this week – it was arguably the most exciting event since their inception four years ago.

However, DeChambeau and Rahm will be leaving The Club at Steyn City with contrasting emotions.

- Antony Martin

ROUND 2 HIGHLIGHTS | RAHM & HILDAGO | 2024 ESTRELLA N.A. AUDALUCIA MASTERS

 

JON RAHM WINS LIV GOLF CHICAGO, $18M BONUS FOR SEASON POINTS TITLES

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. -- Jon Rahm ended his first year in the LIV Golf League by closing with a 4-under 66 to win the final individual event Sunday and the season points title with its $18 million bonus.

Rahm missed a pair of short birdie putts on the back nine that kept Joaquín Niemann and Sergio Garcia in the mix. But then he holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole that gave him a three-shot lead going to the last at Bolingbrook Golf Course.

Rahm won for the second time in the Saudi-funded league, adding to his title in England last month. In between those wins, he lost in a playoff to Brooks Koepka.

Niemann, a two-time winner at the start of the season, was the only player who could have challenged Rahm for the season title. He opened with two early birdies but never could get ahead, closing within two shots after a birdie on the 15th and a big par save on the 16th.

Niemann shot 66, while Garcia shot 68. They tied for second.

"I wanted to do a good show and get it over the line. I'm really happy," said Rahm, who said he was nervous on the practice range. "To go bogey-free on the weekend, it's quite spectacular. I'm very proud of the putt on the 17th, which made 18 a lot easier."

Crushers won the team title and will go to the team championship in the Dallas area next week that closes out the third season.

Rahm, who finished at 11-under 199, won $4 million from the tournament and $18 million for capturing the season race. He was the biggest name to join the Saudi-backed league last December and was in the top 10 at every LIV event he completed. Rahm had to withdraw from the Houston event with a toe infection, which also knocked him out of the U.S. Open.

Lucas Herbert shot 68 and tied for sixth, moving him into the top 24 that assures him a spot in the LIV Golf League next year. Kalle Samooja at one point played his way into the top 48, meaning he would avoid relegation. But he bogeyed two of the last three holes to fall into the drop zone and must go through a qualifying event to get back in.

- Associated Press 

RONALDO EARNS $250M, NAMED FORBES HIGHEST-PAID ATHLETE

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 42 goals in 41 games in all competitions for Al Nassr this season. Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

 Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes for the fourth time in his career, and Spanish golfer Jon Rahm moved up to second after his sensational switch to Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Ronaldo became the world's highest-paid athlete after his move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, and Forbes said the 39-year-old's estimated total earnings were in the region of $260 million, an all-time high for a footballer.

His on-field earnings amounted to $200m, and his off-field earnings were $60m thanks to sponsorship deals where brands make use of his 629 million Instagram followers.

Ronaldo said on Wednesday that he intends to continue his football career "at a high level" despite nearly entering his 40s.

Two-time major winner Rahm joined LIV Golf in December in a big-money move that sent shock waves through the sport after media reports said the world No. 5 would be paid at least $300m.

Apart from that guarantee, Rahm has earned $218m and joins Ronaldo as the only two athletes to earn over $200m.

Third on the list is record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, who made a lucrative switch to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, helping him earn $135m.

The 36-year-old has earned $65m in on-field earnings but $70m off it thanks to deals with major sponsors such as Adidas and Apple.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is fourth at $128.2m, and although the 39-year-old American, the first NBA player to score 40,000 career points, is nearing the end of his career, he is set to have one last crack at the Olympics.

Fellow NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo ($111m) of the Milwaukee Bucks rounds out the top five, and France captain Kylian Mbappé has dropped down to sixth ($110m).

Mbappé announced he would be leaving Paris Saint-Germain after seven years in the French capital, where he became the club's leading career scorer, and the 25-year-old is expected to join Spanish giants Real Madrid in the 2024-25 season.

Former PSG star Neymar, who also moved to the Saudi Pro League, joining Al Hilal, is seventh ($108m) despite sitting out the majority of the season with a torn ACL.

French striker Karim Benzema, who also moved to Saudi Arabia, is eighth ($106m) on the list, followed by Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry ($102m).

Lamar Jackson is the only NFL player on the list, in 10th place ($100.5m), thanks to the signing bonus that was negotiated into his new Baltimore Ravens contract last year.

- Reuters 

IN 2023, THE SAUDIS DOVE FURTHER INTO SPORTS. THE ARE EXPECTED TO.KEEP IT UP IN 2024

Phil Mickelson. AP Photo 

At the dawn of 2023, the specter of Saudi Arabia’s growing influence on pro golf — and sports in general — served not only as a moral conundrum for players and their fans, but also, some argued, as an existential threat to the multibillion-dollar professional-sports industry itself.

Twelve months later, it's a different conversation, now virtually devoid of concern about the supposed menace of “sportswashing” and the line between “right” and “wrong,” and more fixed on just how rich the Saudis might make all these athletes before they’re done investing.

Two major events sparked the change: The June 6 announcement that the PGA Tour was looking to go into business with the very Saudi group that was paying for the kingdom's LIV Golf, which the tour had labeled as a threat. Then, six months later, the decision by the world’s third-ranked player and an early resister of LIV, Jon Rahm, to move to that league for a contract reported in the neighborhood of $500 million.

Making less-dramatic but almost equally important headlines were the continuing talks between the Saudis and leaders in pro tennis — and Saudi Arabia’s ongoing push into global soccer, reflected most vividly by a decision that smoothed the way for the Saudis to host the sport’s biggest event, the World Cup, in 2034.

PGA TOUR SUSPENDS JON RAHM; OTHERS MOVE UP FEDEX LIST

Oisin Keniry

The PGA Tour has notified Jon Rahm he has been suspended for signing with Saudi-funded LIV Golf, a formality that is more about the benefits to the players he leaves behind.

Mackenzie Hughes and Carl Yuan are the immediate beneficiaries of Rahm's decision last week to sign with the rival league.

In a memo to players Monday afternoon, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said Rahm's suspension "due to his association with a series of unauthorized tournaments" removes his name from the FedEx Cup eligibility points list.

That means Hughes goes from No. 51 to No. 50, and now is eligible for all seven of the $20 million signature events in 2024. It also means Yuan, who was signed up for Q-school this week, moves up one spot to No. 125 and has a full PGA Tour card for next year.

BRITISH OPEN UNDERWAY WITH RECORD PRIZE MONEY UP FOR GRABS

Reuters 

Englishman Matthew Jordan said it was an "amazing honour" to hit the opening tee shot of the 151st British Open on Thursday at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, where he has been a member since the age of seven.

The 27-year-old, a native of Hoylake, came through qualifying to earn a place in the 156-man field.

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