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Spaniard Jon Rahm defends US Open amid world golf schism

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm is the defender of the US Open this week at The Country Club (Brookline, Massachusetts), the third ‘major’ of the season that arrives involved in the breakup of the golf caused by the new LIV Golfof which the Basque denies, but not Sergio García, also present in the fray as Adri Arnaus.

The Spanish representation will have this trio led by Rahm, as is usual since the Basque entered the PGA with force six years ago. The one from Barrika applied these days on the side of the American Circuitwhile LIV Golf, the association founded under the support of Saudi Arabia, became a reality last week.

For history, for love of golf, for legacy. “I’ve never played golf for money,” Rahm said, speaking of the clearest reason for the departure of some of the world’s best players like Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Kevin Na, Ian Poulter or Charl Schwartzel, who won the first chapter of the Saudi tournament last Sunday near London.

All the ‘rebels’ are suspended by the PGA and the European Circuit, the DP World Tour, has yet to announce its decision. However, the US Open opens its doors and The Country Club, one of the five clubs that founded the USGA (United States Golf Association), home of, among others, a mythical Ryder Cup in 1999, it will undoubtedly gain attention despite the schism in world golf.

Rahm, current champion, arrives as number two in the world, after suffering in the PGA Championship a month ago, as a sign of a 2022 that is the deadliest so far in his game. The Americans know the terrain well and number one Scottie Scheffler starts again as a favourite, like Justin Thomas or Brooks Koepka. Tiger Woods will not be there, who saves himself for the ‘British’.

The ‘Tiger’ was the great focus in Augusta and the PGA, but after pushing the machine in his miraculous recovery from a serious traffic accident, the 15-majors champion does not hide that Saint Andrews is special. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is the great European threat after scoring a double last Sunday at the Canadian Open.

In addition to Rahm, the US Open will also have the Spaniards Sergio García and Adri Arnaus. The man from Castellón, who has just made his debut in the aforementioned LIV Golf Tour, disputes his ‘Grand Slam’ number 85 and the Barcelonan plays his second Yankee Open with the good taste still in his mouth from his remarkable role in his first PGA Championship.

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