Rahm says LIV did not cause his major struggles

Jon Rahm said his struggles in major championships were his own responsibility, rejecting the view that his move to LIV Golf caused his results to decline. Speaking before the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, the two-time major winner cited problems with his golf swing and said he had played poorly in several majors.

“We’ve got to stop blaming LIV for me playing poorly at the majors,” Rahm said. He pointed to chances at the PGA Championship in each of the past two years and said his performance in the other three majors this year had not been good enough. He also said his less successful weeks had coincided with the four major tournaments.

Rahm’s results in the majors varied across the periods before and during his LIV tenure. In the three years before joining the league, he recorded seven top-10 finishes in 12 majors, including two victories, and missed no cuts. Across three LIV seasons, he had four top-10 finishes in 11 majors and missed two cuts. Those results document a change in finishes, but do not establish what caused it.

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley offered a different assessment, arguing that Rahm’s decision to join LIV cost him prime years and...