Jon Rahm Says “It Didn’t Make Sense to Dwell on It” After Opening 65 at LIV Golf Mexico City

Apr 17, 2026, 3:26 PM CUT

WGC- Mexico Championship golf tournament final round MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 23: Jon Rahm of Spain competes during the last round the PGA, Golf Herren World Golf Championship WGC tournament at the Chapultepec Golf Club on February 23, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico Copyright: xCarlosxTischlerx EYE0303

Thursday at LIV Golf Mexico City, Jon Rahm showed everyone his current mindset by opening with a 65.

The golf world spent the week asking whether LIV Golf was days away from financial ruin, but Jon Rahm spent it preparing for the Mexico City event. He shot 65 in the first round, parking himself three shot behind Victor Perez on the leaderboard. Afterward, the Spanish press wanted answers about the chaos surrounding the league, and he gave them an honest one.

"It didn't make sense for me to dwell on it or waste time thinking about it," Rahm said. "We were here, we knew we were going to play, so the idea was to prepare for a tournament. That's it."

Despite his major-winning pedigree, Rahm remained focused on the course rather than league politics.

The noise, however, was hard for most people to ignore. The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday that LIV's board was called to an emergency meeting in New York after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund released a new five-year investment strategy that did not mention LIV Golf at all.

Word then got out that PIF funding only holds through the current season, leaving the league's longer-term survival dependent on fresh outside investment.

Rahm, the tour's all-time leading earner at roughly $88 million since his 2023 move from the PGA Tour (according to Sportrac), said the story broke so fast it barely registered.

"Normally, before the rumours come out, we know something," he said. "There's always someone in the league who knows something. It was so fast that I didn't really worry about it."

The 31-year-old has decided to stay focused on his game right now, but the LIV Golf CEO could not ignore the situation.

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil Stands His Ground

On the Thursday broadcast, CEO Scott O'Neil acknowledged the league faces structural changes ahead, including the likelihood of needing outside capital. He floated the idea of eventually "blending LIV and the national opens."

O'Neil wasn't done making his case either. "We did almost half a billion dollars in sponsorship last year," he said, pointing to partnerships with Rolex, HSBC, and Aramco. "I'm thinking we're in a wonderful position."

Prize money this season sits at around $30 million, and the tour has been writing big checks since it launched in 2022. But right now, the question is who keeps signing them.

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav