CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the golf world descends on Quail Hollow Club for the 2025 PGA Championship, the buzz surrounding the season’s second major is palpable. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, and a resurgent Justin Thomas dominate headlines, their every move dissected by a PGA Tour-adjacent media machine. Yet, one name, Jon Rahm — the 2023 Masters champion and former world No. 1, seems conspicuously absent from the spotlight.
Despite a resume that screams generational talent and a 2025 season marked by relentless consistency, Rahm is being quietly overlooked, his story overshadowed by a media narrative that favors PGA Tour loyalists over LIV Golf’s best talent.
Rahm’s move to LIV Golf in December 2023 was seismic, a reported $500 million defection that sent shockwaves through the sport. The Spaniard, known for his fiery passion and unrelenting competitiveness, was already a two-time major champion and a Ryder Cup hero. His departure from the PGA Tour, however, came at a cost.
The PGA Tour’s media allies, blindsided by Rahm’s exit to LIV, seemed to immediately pivot, downplaying his relevance while elevating lesser players who remained in the fold. Nearly a year and a half later, that subtle bias persists as Rahm arrives at Quail Hollow.
“What to do with Rahm is an interesting question,” CBS Sports noted this week. “He has 19 straight top 10s on LIV Golf and back-to-back top 15s in major championships, but he hasn’t played his best golf at recent majors.” The caveat feels telling: a nod to his form, but a quick pivot to downplay expectations.
Or how a Golf Digest writer “faded” the Spaniard in its PGA Championship betting preview: “Rahm’s inability to win a damn LIV event this year should tell you where his game is at,” wrote Christopher Powers, Golf Digest senior writer. “Not nearly as “close” as he wants it to be. Add in the fact that this has historically been his worst major and the fact he’s had minimal success at Quail Hollow and it has me staying away from these odds.”
Meanwhile, Rahm’s game is tailor-made for Quail Hollow, a 7,600-yard beast that rewards length off the tee and precision around the greens.
ESPN’s betting guide agrees, but did so in the most backhanded complimentary way, listing him as a top 20 pick, alongside journeyman Corey Conners: “Rahm for a Top 20 for the PGA Championship just makes sense. Quail Hollow is built for a guy like him. Blasts it off the tee and can get up and down from anywhere.”
The media’s reluctance to embrace Rahm clearly stems from his LIV Golf affiliation. Since joining the Saudi-backed league, his major appearances have been his only intersection with the PGA Tour’s media ecosystem, and his results — while solid — haven’t matched the dominance of his 2021 U.S. Open or 2023 Masters triumphs.
The media will often fend off the bias accusation by holding up DeChambeau’s spotlight. Yet, their coverage of the reigning U.S. Open winner stems from his undeniable excellence, not an absence of bias. With a T6, 2nd, 1st, and T5 in four of his last five major starts, his historic results force the PGA Tour-friendly media to cover him, as ignoring such dominance would be indefensible.
Meanwhile, a LIV golfer performing solidly — say, consistent top-20 finishes — would likely be sidelined due to bias, as the media often ignores or downplays the Saudi-backed league. In contrast, PGA Tour stalwarts like Justin Thomas, with just one top-10 in his last 11 major starts, receive glowing coverage regardless of major form. The media’s claim of impartiality, citing DeChambeau, rings hollow: LIV players need extraordinary results to earn positive press, while PGA Tour players are celebrated no matter their struggles.
Reuters captured this narrative: “Rahm has not made much noise at majors since joining LIV Golf but arrives at Quail Hollow with top-10 finishes in all seven of his events on the circuit.” The implication is clear: LIV Golf’s 54-hole, no-cut format is somehow less legitimate. Never mind that Quail Hollow’s demanding layout aligns more closely with the courses where Rahm has thrived, like Torrey Pines or Augusta National.
Rahm, for his part, remains unfazed. In a Tuesday press conference, he downplayed the pursuit of perfection, focusing instead on consistency and opportunity. “I’m more concerned about the quantity of major championships,” he said. “I’d rather have a lot of good chances than try to be perfect every time.” It’s a pragmatic approach, one that reflects his confidence in a game that remains among the world’s best. His tee time on Thursday at 8:00 a.m., alongside Patrick Cantlay and Matt Fitzpatrick, is a marquee grouping, yet it’s Scheffler’s 8:22 a.m. slot with Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele that’s drawing the lion’s share of ESPN’s preview coverage.
The sentiment reflects a broader frustration with a media landscape that seems to prioritize loyalty to the PGA Tour over objective analysis.
As the 107th PGA Championship unfolds, Rahm has a chance to rewrite the narrative. Quail Hollow, with its sprawling fairways and punishing greens, is his stage to remind the PGA Tour-friendly media why he was once their darling. For now, he’s the overlooked titan, a 30-year-old Spaniard with fire in his veins and a chip on his shoulder.
