LIV Golf players competing at LIV Golf Korea attend a pretournament press conference at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, just west of Seoul, on April 30, 2025. From left: Jon Rahm of Spain, Joaquin Niemann of Chile and Sergio Garcia of Spain. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Former world No. 1 Jon Rahm has yet to finish outside the top 10 in six tournaments so far this season in LIV Golf but he also hasn’t won yet in 2025.
The two-time major champion from Spain said Wednesday he would love to end that drought in South Korea this week, when LIV Golf makes its first appearance in the country.
“I want to win. I hope my first win of the season comes this week as well,” Rahm said at the pretournament press conference at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, just west of Seoul. The 54-hole LIV Golf Korea tees off Friday at this par-72, 7,376-yard course.
“It looks like a fantastic golf course, and I can’t wait to play,” added Rahm, captain of Legion XIII. “Hopefully, the weather is okay the rest of the week, and we can all enjoy a really fun week.”
Rahm was the runner-up at the season-opening tournament in Riyadh in February and finished in fourth place last week in Mexico. But he said nothing beats winning.
“I would gladly give up some of those top 10s for more wins,” he said. “I keep putting myself close enough. Just every once in a while, there’s been enough mistakes where I’m just not quite close enough going into the back nine on Sunday. If I can just clean that up, I know I’m playing well enough to win.”
Rahm, who won twice in 2024 in his first LIV Golf season, said it is usually “one swing or one hole that can ignite a great run.”
“I’m not going to feel any extra pressure,” he said. “The goal is to win every week, and I want to do it, like Joaquin has been doing so far.”
Rahm was referring to Joaquin Niemann, who has won three of the six tournaments in 2025, including the most recent stop in Mexico.
“It’s been exciting, the last six events here at LIV, the way I’ve been playing, the way I’ve been feeling on the course,” the Chilean captain of Torque Golf Club (GC) said. “I felt like there’s been a lot of trust and a lot of faith in the work that I’ve been putting in. So I’ve just been happy overall in general. I think it’s been translated to the golf course as well.”
Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, is no stranger to South Korea, having captured the 2002 Korea Open title. The LIV Golf Hong Kong winner last month, Garcia, who captains Fireballs GC, said he will try to get back on track after finishing in 50th place in Mexico.
“Obviously, very excited to be back in Korea. Getting some good feelings back after not having a great week last week,” he said. “The season has been great so far, so I’m very, very pleased about not only the way I’ve played, but the way my team, the Fireballs, have played. We’re excited to keep it going.”
LIV Golf features 13 teams with four players each, and they play 13 tournaments from February to August. The Saudi Arabia-backed tour keeps both individual and team standings.
Niemann, Rahm and Garcia are 1-2-3 in individual rankings. Legion XIII leads the team competition, just ahead of Fireballs GC.
(Yonhap)
