Jon Rahm's US Open Hopes Thrown Into Doubt After LIV Golf Houston Withdrawal

The Legion XIII captain withdrew after six holes of his second round because of a foot injury

Jon Rahm takes a tee shot at LIV Golf Houston
Jon Rahm has withdrawn from LIV Golf Houston
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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Jon Rahm has become the second high-profile LIV golfer to withdraw from its Houston event following Louis Oosthuizen, who was replaced by Wade Ormsby before the second round of the tournament.

Unlike the Stinger GC captain, the Spaniard played the first six holes of his second round, but a foot injury meant that he could not continue at the Golf Club of Houston event - and that calls into question his involvement in next week's US Open.

Rahm began the day at three under, and that’s where he finished after pars on each of his six completed holes. Assuming he doesn’t return for the third round, his withdrawal means that his run of seven successive top-10 finishes since his big-money move to the circuit will now come to an end.

While that is an immediate concerns, Rahm will also be aware of the potential implications for his involvement in next week’s US Open. Rahm was the champion of the Major three years ago and, despite disappointing finishes in both The Masters and PGA Championship this year, he is one of the favourites to lift the trophy. 

While it is unclear how serious the injury is, the fact Rahm has needed to withdraw must be a concern with the third men's Major of the year now less than a week away, with it announced that Rahm will be replaced by Ben Campbell for Sunday's final round.

The first sign that Rahm was struggling with the injury came in the first round when, on his fifth hole of the day, he struck a short-iron in and, on impact, was visibly in pain as he attempted to walk it off. It was then reported that the problem was being caused by a cut between his toes.

The withdrawal means that Rahm, who is one of 12 LIV Golf players heading to Pinehurst No.2 for next week’s Major, has only played 24 holes since missing the cut at the PGA Championship almost a month ago.

Because the Legion XIII captain withdrew mid-round, it means he won’t be replaced for the remainder of the day’s play. That won’t affect the numerical scoring for the team, as only three scores count in the second round.

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Mike Hall
Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.