"It's just in a weird way a good feeling" - Jon Rahm eyes second straight Spaniard showdown at LIV Golf Chicago against 21-year-old rookie

Jon Rahm is eyeing a second consecutive Spaniard showdown at LIV Golf Chicago against 21-year-old rookie Josele Ballester. Rahm is playing at the LIV Golf Chicago in 2025, and he tied in second place on the tournament leaderboard with Spaniard Ballester.

Last year, during the LIV Golf Chicago final round, Rahm had a shoulder-to-shoulder fight with Spaniard Sergio Garcia, with the former coming out triumphant. This year, Rahm joined the press conference at the LIV Golf Chicago and shared his thoughts regarding a second-time showdown with another Spaniard. He said (via ASAP Sports):

“It's just in a weird way a good feeling, a good sense, because I played with Sergio on Sunday last year and was able to get the win, so hopefully it repeats itself where I play with another Spaniard and I get the win as well. Besides all that, just happy that he's doing this well this early, and hoping nothing but the best for him tomorrow, and hopefully we all have a fun day and give a good show for the viewers.”

Jon Rahm finished at T2 with a 7-under score after two rounds. He fired 68 in the first round of the tournament with three birdies on the front nine and two on the back nine. The second round yielded a 67, featuring four birdies and one eagle. The third round will take place on Sunday.

What did Jon Rahm say after winning last year's LIV Golf Chicago?

Jon Rahm had joined the 2024 LIV Golf Chicago press conference at the Bolingbrook Golf Club, where he shared his experience of winning his second LIV Golf trophy in 2024, after coming out triumphant at the 2024 LIV Golf United Kingdom. Rahm said (via ASAP Sports):

“Today was a special day in many ways. I woke up really nervous today, as I thought I would, and even warming up, I told Adam, man, I'm nervous. But then I started thinking, playing with Sergio and Brooks, last time both me and Sergio played good, it was a good Sunday in Valderrama; Sergio ended up winning. Last time I went up against Brooks, he ended up beating me. I wanted to hopefully do a really good showing this time and maybe get it over the line.”

Jon Rahm triumphed at the LIV Golf Chicago in 2024 with three shots ahead of Joaquin Niemann, who landed at 8 under. Rahm shot 69 in the first round of the event with one birdie on the front nine and one on the back nine. In the next round, he fired 64 with three birdies on the front nine and three on the back nine. He shot 66 in the last round with two birdies on the front nine and two on the back nine.

About the author

Suchita Chakraborty is a senior golf writer at Sportskeeda. She did her post-graduation at St. Xavier's University. For a year now, she has developed a riveting inclination toward golf, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy being her top-tier motivational figures to indulge in the sport. She even lives by the words of the Hall of Famer, "You can always become better", which impels her to excel every day. Her strong suit in golf is covering the LPGA Tour, especially the nooks and crannies of the international event, the Solheim Cup. As a pastime amusement, Suchita also engages herself in reading about golf controversies. Her favorite pick is ‘LIV and Let Die’ by Alan Shipnuck, which covers the PGA-LIV beef.

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Edited by Anisha Chatterjee