'A Tough Pill To Swallow' - Jon Rahm After Missing Out On PGA Championship

The LIV Golf star briefly caught Scheffler on Sunday before falling back over the last three holes

Jon Rahm walks off the green without his cap
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jon Rahm briefly tied Scottie Scheffler's lead in Sunday's PGA Championship final round before a poor finish dropped him back into a tie for 8th-place.

The Spaniard was charging with birdies at 8, 10 and 11 but momentum was halted after he could only manage pars at the drivable 14th and par 5 15th before finishing bogey, double, double.

The LIV Golf star admitted that it's a "tough pill to swallow" after being in the hunt but was in good spirits after his disappointing finish.

"It was really close. God, it's been a while since I had that much fun on a golf course, 15 holes," he said after closing with a 73.

"Even the first seven the day where I was swinging well and things weren't happening, but I kept myself in and made the pars that I needed and played really good golf from the 8th to the 15th.

"A lot of positive to take from this week. Pretty fresh wound right now. But there's been a lot of good happening this week and a lot of positive feelings to take for the rest of the year."

Jon Rahm reacts to a missed putt

Rahm dropped five strokes in his last three holes

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rahm, who on Saturday said that his swing issues were the reason for his poor Major form and not his move to LIV Golf, explained how pulls to the left ultimately cost him while he admitted that nerves also played a factor.

"It's a couple of things," he said.

"If there's ever somebody that's sitting right here that tells you nerves weren't a part of it, they're clearly lying. It's the main thing we do as a professional sport; it's controlling what goes through your mind."

The two-time Major winner, who won the 2021 US Open at Torrey Pines and the 2023 Masters, was unsurprisingly looking forward to getting back home to Arizona, where he'll look to reset and go again next month at Oakmont.

"I think it's the first time I've been in position to win a Major that close and haven't done it," he said.

"The only times I think I've been in the lead in a Major on a Sunday, I've been able to close it out, and this is a very different situation. So I don't know exactly.

"But if it's ever a time, that's what family's for is the best. Luckily I'm going to get home maybe on time to get the kids to bed or not, I'm not sure. To them, whatever I did today, win or lose, they don't care. So that's always a good perspective.

"I always like to go back a little bit on something that Charles Barkley likes to remind basketball players all the time.

"Like, I play golf for a living. It's incredible. Am I embarrassed a little bit about how I finished today? Yeah. But I just need to get over it, get over myself. It's not the end of the world.

"It's not like I'm a doctor or a first responder, where somebody if they have a bad day, truly bad things happen. I'll get over it. I'll move on.

"Again, there's a lot more positive than negative to think about this week. I'm really happy I put myself in position and hopefully learn from this and give it another go in the US Open."

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, X and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 and 2025 Masters from Augusta National and was there by the 18th green to watch Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam. He has also covered five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

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