Jon Rahm’s hopes of winning a second Masters title have been boosted by his victory at LIV Golf’s event in Hong Kong this past week.
Rahm continued his outstanding start to the 2026 season with his win in Hong Kong. He had finished second in Riyadh as well as Adelaide.
In fact, you would have to go back to last year’s event in the United Kingdom for the last time the Spaniard failed to finish inside the top two on LIV.
But the fact that he has got across the line could be particularly significant as a trip to Augusta National looms.
Jon Rahm’s start to the season on LIV Golf assessed after his victory in Hong Kong
Jon Rahm has faced plenty of criticism since joining LIV in December 2023. His cause has not been helped by the fact that he has not won a major since making the jump from the PGA Tour.
LIV was widely ridiculed after Rahm won the individual title for the 2025 season despite failing to win a single event. So his victory on Sunday will silence plenty.
With that, Ryan Lavner has told the Golf Channel Podcast that the 31-year-old’s chances of winning The Masters next month have improved now that he has ended all talk about his run without a victory.
He said: “As it relates to Jon Rahm’s golf, this was hugely important for him personally, just to have that weight lifted, just so he’s not arriving at Augusta facing, ‘hey man, why can’t you win? How have you not won anywhere since August 2024?’
“Jon Rahm had four consecutive runner-up finishes on LIV, including two in a row to start the year. I think everyone was completely shocked at the way he folded to Anthony Kim down the stretch at LIV Adelaide.
“But I do think overall, when you look at what Jon Rahm has done on the LIV circuit in 2026 – second, second, first – that’s about what I expected with LIV expanding from 54 to 72 holes. You give the best players more holes, the cream is going to rise to the top. And because LIV is so top heavy, Jon Rahm is doing what I expected Jon Rahm to do.”
Jon Rahm’s Masters performances since his LIV Golf move will be a concern
It is surprising that The Masters has been Rahm’s weakest major since his move to LIV Golf ahead of the 2024 season.
He won the Green Jacket in 2023. However, he finished tied for 45th and tied for 14th in each of the last two years.
It is the only major Rahm has not managed to register a top 10 finish in since he joined LIV.
But with Scottie Scheffler looking well short of his best right now, and Rory McIlroy withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a slight back injury, there appears to be an amazing opportunity for Rahm.
Rahm is one of the only players who can compete with Scheffler when the world number one is anywhere near the top of his game.
It certainly seems that Rahm is heading to the first major of the year with a lot more momentum than his rivals.
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