Masters champion Jon Rahm demands major format change just months after defecting to LIV Golf in mega £450million deal
JON RAHM has urged LIV Golf to change from a 54 to 72-hole format just months after signing his lucrative deal.
Last year’s Masters champion, 29, penned a contract worth nearly HALF A BILLION back in December as he left the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed series.
He is now gearing up for a first major since the huge move when he defends his title at Augusta this week.
It comes after he finished joint fourth at LIV’s Miami event – their fifth tournament of 2024.
LIV Golf events take place across 54 holes and three days, rather than the conventional 72 holes and four days.
But Rahm is keen to see that change as he urged organisers to move closer to the PGA model.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: “If there ever was a way where LIV could go to 72 holes I think it would help all of this argument a lot.
“The closer I think we can get LIV Golf to some other things the better.
“I think it would be for some kind of unification to feed into a world tour or something like that.
“I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I definitely wouldn’t mind going back to 72 holes.”
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
We've got the Masters covered
WE'VE got everything you need to know about this year's Masters.
- All the info on when it starts, who’s playing and how you can watch it on TV
- Our expert’s top tips on who’s fancied to win a famous Green Jacket on Sunday
- The ultimate hole-by-hole guide to Augusta, including the iconic Amen Corner
- The golfers’ glamorous Wags – from the daughter of an ice hockey legend to a ‘Krispy Kreme connoisseur’
- The nine secrets of the Masters that the elitist Augusta members don’t want you to know
LIV, which also enforce a shotgun start and no cut, are named after the roman numerals for “54”, making a format change unlikely.
The PGA Tour and LIV announced a merger last summer, with many players blindsided by the announcement.
It remains unclear what the merger will entail.
Meanwhile, Rahm has claimed his switch to LIV could be a “tipping point” in the influx of golfers making the move.
He added: “I could be the start of a tipping point in that sense.
“I understood the weight that [my] decision could have and the impact it could have. I understood that perfectly and that’s why it wasn’t an easy decision.
“The balance of golf could be disturbed a little bit. Luckily in my career, especially last year, I accomplished a lot and I got to be one of the bigger names in golf.
“There are few active players that could have had a bigger impact than myself in that sense. Not to be patting myself on the back too much, but I understood the position I was in.”