Team dynamics on LIV are not the same as they are in the Ryder Cup, which Jon Rahm is quickly learning.
Getty Images
Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton have a few things in common.
Neither man is what you’d call an on-course stoic, with both playing with their hearts on their sleeves.
They also play with the same logo on their hats. They are, after all, Legion XIII teammates on LIV Golf.
On Friday, in England, the ties between Rahm and Hatton took on a fresh dimension when the two were paired in the opening round of LIV Golf UK, at JCB Golf and Country Club. Not that the duo had never played together. At last year’s Ryder Cup in Rome, they teamed up in foursomes twice, winning one match and halving the other.
But Friday was a new experience for Rahm, as it was the first time he’d played in the same group with a LIV teammate since joining the circuit in early 2024.
After the round, Rahm acknowledged the unusual dynamics of a format that rewards both individual and team results.
“It’s a weird scenario because, as good friends as you are, you want each other to do good, but you also want to beat each other,” Rahm said. “I could tell one of us was making a birdie, we first look at each other like, seriously? Don’t get too far ahead or don’t make many of those, but obviously we want to see other make birdies.”
Those opposing interests led to a memorable exchange on the 6th hole, where Rahm pulled off a deft chip from below the green as Hatton looked on.
“Being low left, I hit a good shot, and he just froze and looked at me like this,” Rahm said, flashing a what-the-heck-are-you-doing expression. “I didn’t know what to do with that reaction, so I was just a little confused down there on the left.”
For Hatton, it was all part of the fun.
“I enjoyed it,” he said, drily. “But obviously, it scared him.”
Amid the playfulness, both men played some serious golf on Friday, as Rahm posted a bogey-free 63 — his lowest round yet on LIV — and Hatton rang in with a 66. Their combined effort helped push Legion into a one-shot lead in the team competition.
In the individual division, Rahm entered Saturday’s second round with a two shot-lead over Andy Ogletree and Abraham Ancer. Not bad for a guy who failed to birdie any of the par-5s on Friday.
“It’s funny. I don’t mean to be laughing,” Rahm said. “Recently, I feel like I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m not making bad swings. I don’t feel like I’m making terrible decisions. But it’s just I’ve got a little streak of bad luck on the par-5s. Didn’t birdie any of them at the Open. Didn’t birdie any of them today.”
Every round brings something new.
“This is golf, it happens,” Rahm said. “There are times when you get going and you enjoy a streak of tournaments where it just seems like everything is going your way. So, hopefully today is the start of something like that.”
