Jon Rahm Reflects On Frustrating Major Season As He Prepares For The Masters Tournament

Jon Rahm is eager to move past his challenging 2024 major season as he prepares for the Masters, aiming for a second Green Jacket. In 2023, Rahm secured the Masters title by finishing four strokes ahead of Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson. This victory marked his second major win, following his U.S. Open success two years prior.

Rahm's performance in last year's majors was less than stellar. At Augusta National, he barely made the cut and ended tied for 45th at nine over par. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship and had to skip the U.S. Open due to injury. However, he managed a T7 finish at The Open.

During a press conference in Georgia, Rahm shared his strategy of starting each season anew. "I like keeping it fresh instead of just saying I want to win X amount of things in the next five years," Rahm stated. He believes that closing the chapter on the previous year helps him approach the new season with a clearer mindset.

Rahm has consistently placed in the top 10 at his last ten LIV Golf events, winning twice. Despite this, he feels that a few disappointing major performances led to an unfair assessment of his overall form last year. "It was not my favourite major season last year," Rahm admitted.

The Spaniard believes that his game was judged harshly based on his performances at Augusta and the PGA Championship rather than his entire year's play. "While I understand why, I don't think it was the fairest state of my game," he added.

Challenges of Defending a Title

In 2024, Rahm joined a list of Masters champions who couldn't defend their titles successfully. Tiger Woods remains the last player to achieve back-to-back wins in 2001 and 2002. Reflecting on last year’s challenges, Rahm noted it was tough being both a new LIV member and defending champion.

"Last year was tough because it was the first major after joining LIV and I was also defending," Rahm recalled. Adjusting to new experiences like a different locker room and attending the champions' dinner added internal pressures.

This week, Rahm feels more confident about his game as he heads into Augusta once again. His focus is on performing well without dwelling on past setbacks or external judgments.