Jon Rahm shows true colours after labelling maiden £3.1 million Liv Golf win ‘bittersweet’

Jon Rahm secured his first LIV Golf victory at LIV UK on Sunday, held at JCB Golf and Country Club, but his triumph came at the cost of his teammate Tyrrell Hatton.

At the 11th attempt, Rahm claimed his individual LIV title, winning by a single shot after a tense final round. His four-under-par 67 on the last day brought his total to 13-under for the week, just ahead of Hatton.

Heading into the final hole, both Rahm and Hatton were tied at 13-under, suggesting a possible playoff. However, Hatton’s costly error on the last hole resulted in a three-putt, leaving him tied for second with Cam Smith and Joaquin Niemann, and ensuring Rahm’s victory.

Despite Rahm’s success, his immediate concern was for his teammate Hatton. “It was bittersweet,” Rahm admitted during his celebration. “I’ve got to give Tyrrell a lot of credit, he’s a fantastic player, and you never want to see it end like that. I wish it had been a playoff.”

Rahm reiterated this sentiment in his post-tournament press conference. “Obviously, you always want to win,” he said. “Selfishly, you want to get that done. But you don’t want to see a teammate and a good friend miss a putt for that to happen. It’s a bit of an unusual situation that I don’t think any of us are used to. Teams win, I win individually, but still, having so much respect for Tyrrell, somebody who’s a good friend and somebody I’ve experienced a lot with—I can’t really celebrate because I still feel for him finishing like that.”

Hatton found himself in the difficult position of narrowly missing out on individual victory but still contributing to Legion XIII’s fourth team title of the 2024 season. Despite being pleased for his teammates, the personal loss was hard for him to accept. “It’s hard to put that to one side,” Hatton said while sitting with Rahm, Caleb Surratt, and Kieran Vincent. “Golf is generally an individual sport; your individual results reflect the team. I am really happy for the guys and to win a fourth event as a team, but it doesn’t change how I feel about my own performance.”

Having completed a clean sweep at JCB, Rahm now aims to achieve a season double. He currently sits second in the individual standings, behind Joaquin Niemann, while Legion XIII leads the season-long team standings.