Jon Rahm back at Augusta as defending champion more than LIV player

Spaniard hoping his caddie can shake off stomach bug to be on his bag on Thursday

Defending Masters champion Jon Rahm speaks to media during a press conference at Augusta National Golf Club on Tuesday. Picture: The Masters

Jon Rahm may have returned to Augusta National sporting a LIV Golf logo but that’s secondary in his mind and, according to him, the majority of others who will be tuning in around the world to watch the 88th edition of The Masters.

“Both” was the Spaniard’s initial reaction to being asked in his visit to the Media Building at the Georgia venue on Tuesday morning if people were looking at him this week as the defending champion or as a LIV player – one of 13 in the field – following his switch to the breakaway circuit for a whopping £476 million.

Then pressed to guess as people see him back competing against PGA Tour and DP World Tour players in the season’s opening major, he admitted: “From what I've experienced so far, as a Masters champion, yeah.”

In an interview with the BBC last week, Rahm called for the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit to move from 54 holes to 72 holes going forward and talked about how he believed his switch could prove a “tipping point” in the ongoing bid to shape a new landscape for the men’s professional golf.

“I understood my position, yes,” he replied to be asked about his decision to join LIV Golf. “And I understood that it could be, what I hoped, a step towards some kind of agreement, yes. Or more of an agreement or expedited agreement.

But, unfortunately, it's not up to me. But I would hope it would be something that would help expedite that process. But at the end of the day, I still did what I thought was best for myself.”

The 29-year-old spoke about how he “still loves the PGA Tour” and missing events he’d enjoyed playing in on the US circuit. Is he worried that his legacy will be damaged by leaving the PGA Tour? “I mean, will it change? Yeah. It's a bit of a detour on my path. But change can be better,” he insisted.

Rahm’s caddie, Adam Hayes, was forced to miss the final round of LIV Golf’s latest event in Miami on Sunday due to a stomach issue that had forced 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith to withdraw after the opening circuit.

“Takes a lot for him not to caddie,” admitted Rahm, “but he seemed quite a bit better yesterday and hopefully a little bit better today and tomorrow. As of right now, I don't have a backup; so I hope he can make it on Thursday.”

Not since Tiger Woods achieved the feat in 2002 has a player won here back-to-back and, though a lack of playing over 72 holes in the build up is being seen as a concern for some, Rahm isn’t one of them. “I feel fresh and ready for it,” declared the world No 3.