Golf Channel analyst ‘incensed’ after Jon Rahm presser: ‘I wanted to wring his neck through the television’
Inclement weather in the Louisville area brought everything to a halt on Tuesday at the PGA Championship. That included player interviews with the likes of Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth, which were cancelled, causing an uprising in the media centre at Valhalla.
Fortunately, the literal skies and the content skies opened back up, causing the PGA of America to reverse course and get back on schedule, starting with Woods. Rahm went next, and he caused some ears to perk up when he said he still sees himself as a PGA Tour member despite his jump to LIV Golf.
“You guys keep saying ‘the other side,’ but I’m still a PGA Tour member, whether suspended or not,” Rahm said. “I still want to support the PGA Tour. And I think that’s an important distinction to make.
“I don’t feel like I’m on the other side. I’m just not playing there. That’s at least personally.”
Rahm went on to explain that had he been allowed, he would have still played in PGA Tour events earlier this season, and he still would if he’s allowed to in the future. When Golf Channel cut back to the “Live From” set following Rahm’s presser, it was clear those comments rubbed the folks on the desk that wrong way. Host George Savaricas opened by saying his brain was “in a pretzel” over Rahm’s belief that he’s still a member of the PGA Tour.
While both Paige Mackenzie and Golfweek writer Eamon Lynch had some strong comments, too, nobody went harder at the Spaniard than former tour winner Arron Oberholser, who said Rahm’s comments made him “incensed.”
“He doesn’t get it,” Oberholser said. “To this day, he doesn’t get it. This is a guy who wanted a position, or wanted to be heard, from what I understand, either a board position, or policy board. He wanted to be heard on this whole thing before he went to LIV. And I feel like he wasn’t as heard as much as he probably should have been. And now, I’m glad he wasn’t in that position because he doesn’t get it.
“As a PGA Tour player and as a PGA Tour member, still a card-carrying PGA Tour member and someone who supports the PGA Tour not happy with what’s going on right now obviously, I’m incensed by the level of naivete,” he continued. “That you don’t get it, you still don’t get it. You took 500 large and then you’re going to sit there and tell me, oh, you still feel like a PGA Tour member, I want to support the PGA Tour, and I want—I mean, I wanted to wring his neck through the television. I’m that mad right now. I’m that mad. And every player [on the PGA Tour] in that locker room, if they watched that, should be absolutely incensed with him.”
Rahm will tee it up on Thursday and Friday with a pair of PGA Tour members in Rickie Fowler and Cameron Young, the former of whom has stated he has “zero plans to go anywhere” in regard to the LIV question but also believes there should be a path back to the PGA Tour for those who jumped ship should a merger ever happen. As for Young, he said he was very interested in LIV originally but ultimately decided to stay on the PGA Tour.
Video of Oberholser’s comments can be found in the tweet below:
The Golf Channel set reacts to Jon Rahm saying in his press conference today saying he’s still a PGA Tour member and wants “to support” it.
“He doesn’t get it…I’m incensed…You don’t get it…I wanted to wring his neck through the television I’m that mad right now.”