Men's Golf Preview, Jon Rahm's first LIV win

Come in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they analyze the hottest topics in sports, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @igalofu_com. This week we look ahead to the men's Olympic golf tournament, discuss Jon Rahm's first LIV Golf victory, the best golf deals and more.

The PGA Tour is off this week at the men's Olympic Golf tournament, which begins Thursday at Le Golf National outside Paris. With golf now competing in the Games for the third time, do you expect interest in the event to grow?

Sean Zak, senior author (@Sean_Zak): I'm definitely expecting a bump. Mainly because of the time zone difference between Paris and Tokyo. Fans in the States will be able to catch the final round of the leaderboards, especially in full if they like. It could be Rory McIlroy vs. Scottie Scheffler, if the IGF is lucky. It could be Shub Sharma versus CT Pan, which would be different but exciting, too. Specifically, the awards will be announced around 11 a.m. on the East Coast. That looks good! And if there's a playoff game — which there likely will be — even better.

Zephyr Melton, assistant editor (@zephyrmelton): I'm sure the die-hard fans will be more involved than they were three years ago in Tokyo, but in terms of the average Olympic fan, I'm not sure golf will generate much interest. There are too many other popular Olympic sports for golf to be the main draw.

Nick Dimengo, instructional editor (@ndimengo): I agree. Another chance to see many of the world's best players compete, so golf fans should be interested. Plus, who doesn't love it when the LIV guys and the PGA Tour guys get together at an event?

What's one story golf fans need to follow when the 60-player field tees off on Thursday?

Zak: I'm curious about the LIV team in this tournament. They are not playing for the multi-million dollar purses they are used to, but they have shown that they hope to achieve something different this championship season. For a guy like Jon Rahm, it can make what has been a very frustrating year even more fun.

Melton: It will be fun to watch Xander defend his gold after the stellar season he put together. If he or Scottie can get gold in Paris, the race for player of the year will have another point to consider.

Dimengo: I agree with Zephyr and will be keeping an eye on Schauffele. Not only is he winning the Open Championship, but he is also defending his Olympic gold medal. Can he continue?

Jon Rahm, who signed a major deal with LIV Golf earlier this season, got his first win on Sunday in the UK after Tyrrell Hatton three-putted the 18th and made bogey. Who is this win more important to him: Rahm, or LIV Golf?

Zak: Oh, this was bigger for Rahm. LIV's third season was all about his arrival. And we followed you. It was … OK, but not great. The most viewed videos we've seen of him on the course have been of him talking about this or that, instead of playing golf. So changing that narrative — even after the big season has passed — still feels important.

Melton: It's a big win for LIV to see their superstar finally make it, but this is an important win for Rahm, too. He hasn't won since the 2023 Masters, so getting the monkey off his back must feel good.

Dimengo: It's hard to say Rahm because, well, is this really another victory for him in his career? Not really. Sure, it gives him some validation to sign a big deal with LIV Golf, but the win itself is hugely beneficial to the league as it can now market Rahm as a LIV champion.

Speaking about LIV, Joaquin Niemann said he is “very hopeful” that there will be some sort of pathway created for LIV golfers to compete in the majors next year, which has not been the case in the past two years. Are you hopeful too?

Zak: I really hope for him. But I'd rather see them on their way back to the PGA Tour, as it's now been 14 months since Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Jay Monahan signed the 2023 Framework Agreement between the tour and the Saudi PIF. I know a lot has happened since then, but that's more important than a few spots here and there for LIV players in the 2025 PGA Championship.

Melton: Yes, I would imagine that there will be a path to the majors for LIV players once the “merge” details are released. Although I am sure that the stars of LIV will still cry about needing more places. The victim mentality will not go away easily.

Dimengo: Once we get the (long overdue) details about the merger, I'm sure there will be an easy way for the LIV guys to get into the big plans. What that looks like is anyone's guess, but the goal should always be to get the most talented golfers in the field.

Jhonattan Vegas won the 3M Open on Sunday at TPC Twin Cities, defeating Max Greyserman by a shot. While the 3M field may contain a ton of star power, there were plenty of interesting storylines centered around the pros trying to fight for FedEx Cup status with one event remaining (the Wyndham Championship). With only 70 players now in the playoffs, would you argue that the interest rate has actually increased in some of these late-season tournaments that don't have a ton of big names?

Zak: That's one of the key results of the PGA Tour's format change. In a non-Olympic year, we may have an even stronger field for 3M, like when the tournament benefits from Justin Thomas chasing some FedEx Cup points last year. And beyond the top 70, you have players indeed trying to get into, say, the top 42 or so, knowing that the 2025 Signature Events are in the top 50 after the first week of the playoffs again. Players think about these things all year long, whether they want to admit it or not.

Melton: These late-season events may be more important to golfers, but I'm not sure they're re-engaging the average fan. With so much postseason fatigue, it's hard to get hyped about the contenders to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Dimengo: It's hard to imagine many golf fans sitting inside on a beautiful summer day deciding to take in the entire 3M Open on TV, but I personally think these smaller Tour events are fun. They mean a ton to golfers, especially those on the verge of a FedEx Cup standing, so there's a lot going on – as we saw this weekend with such a packed leaderboard. That's good for golf.

Thanks to a new partnership between Pebble Beach Company and Youth on Course, Spyglass Hill is now setting aside one session per day (four players) for Youth on Course members to play the world-famous course that normally costs $495 for just $5 . Now that stealing. What's a favorite number you've stumbled upon during your travels?

Zak: That $490 discount is going to be hard to beat. But I will say that I've never had a bad day at San Francisco's Presidio Golf Course, which has discounts for residents but doesn't discount the regular visitor. You can play a dusk round on a weekday for less than $60, get great views of the city and roll into town for a nice, delicious dinner.

Melton: It's hard to beat the green fees at Bethpage Black for county residents (around $75). Playing a major level course for under $100 is one hell of a deal.

Dimengo: I went into a bar with a friend on a Friday while I was on a trip to Eastern Washington, got chatting to some new guys, asked them where the community golf course was and ended up getting invited for free the next day. The lesson? Gamble Sands. I'd say that's a pretty good price, right?