Jon Rahm Storms to #1 and $18 Million

Jon Rahm, 29, enters the final day of LIV Golf in Chicago next Sunday in an excellent position to finish as the season’s No. 1 and collect the $18 million bonus, which is 16.32 million euros at the current exchange rate.

Jon Rahm, Results

With six birdies without a miss, the Basque player has achieved an extraordinary second round of 64 strokes and is the leader with a total of 133 (-7), three strokes more than Joaquín Niemann (68), his only rival in the fight for the throne, who shares fourth place before the decisive day.

If the Chilean finishes in the top 15, Rahm will have to match or improve on that result. The Chilean also has a chance of winning the title if he finishes 16th or 17th, but then Jon would have to score no more points and would therefore finish 25th, an unthinkable scenario after his great performance on Saturday.

Sergio García finished the Spanish festival in Chicago by delivering another sensational 65-stroke card (five birdies without bogeys) to move into second place, one stroke behind Rahm. Third is American Brooks Koepka, who has gone from his magnificent 62 on Friday to a mediocre 73 in his second round.

The winner in Chicago, as in all tournaments of the Saudi Super League, will take home an individual prize of four million dollars (3.62 million euros). If Rahm wins the championship, he will earn $22 million on Sunday, as he secures the $18 million bonus reserved for the No. 1 seed.

1 pick in 2024. In addition, the champion team will divide another $3 million among its four players. LIV Golf is a professional men’s golf circuit founded in 2021, the first edition of which was held in 2022. The creation of this international circuit aims to restore the image of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Mohammed bin Salman through sports called “sportswashing” and “soft power”.

This closed circuit is funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), of which Yasir Al-Rumayyan is director, and former Australian golfer Greg Norman is the circuit’s general manager. The circuit selects its players on annual contracts and profiles itself as a separate competition from the PGA Tour and other circuits, poaching many players from the world’s top 100.

The season is played over fourteen events played over three days instead of four days in a 54-hole format without cut, with a team ranking. Among the players who have joined this closed competition are many Grand Slam tournament winners such as Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, Henrik Stenson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Martin Kaymer, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio García, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Louis Oosthuizen and Jon Rahm.

This leads to a confrontation between the loyal PGA Tour players, such as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, and the dissident players.