Nick Faldo, winner of six majors, charges against Jon Rahm: “He had the last laugh, no player is worth that amount of money”

«I think he had the last laugh. “No player is worth those amounts of money.” The recipient is Jon Rahm and the sender of the phrase is an authoritative voice in golf: Nick Faldo. The former English player, winner of six majors – three Augusta Masters and three other British Opens – as well as the holder of four Ryder Cup titles, in which he was also captain in the 2008 edition, charges against Barrika’s green jacket like him and with whom he has always maintained a good relationship. He regrets his signing, completed in December of last year, for the LIV, a circuit that he calls an “exhibition” and in which, he assures, “there is very little sense of accomplishment.”

Faldo’s statements are part of a documentary that ‘Movistar + Golf’ premieres this Tuesday (9:30 p.m.). The pay television network published this Monday on social networks a preview in which one of the greatest legends of the sport stops to analyze Rahm’s situation. «On the tour he was one of those players who plays to win. That’s the most important thing. “If you are a competitor you want to test yourself against the best even when you are playing poorly,” adds the one from Hertfordshire, a county north of London.

Rahm and Faldo were very close to playing together in the famous par 3 tournament that serves as an appetizer to the Augusta Masters every year. That exhibition duel in the mecca of golf that did not take place due to weather reasons was born after a fun tweet on social networks. March 28, 2017. A user asks Faldo via Twitter for some advice to improve his backswing. Just a few minutes later the Englishman answers: “Well, it works for John Rahm.”

The Basque immediately intervenes, correcting ‘Sir’ Faldo: “It’s Jon, not John.” The complicit messages between the two continue until Rahm tells him that “this time the mistake will pass, but next time he will have to leave him one of his green jackets for a week.” And Faldo, master of sarcasm, challenges him: «Do you want to risk it on a par 3? If you win I’ll let you see my closet. Thus was born the duel that they were going to have a few weeks later and that never occurred.

End to your season

It remains to be seen if Faldo’s words have a direct reaction from Rahm, who is on vacation after refusing to attend the finals of the European circuit that are being held this week in Dubai. Added to the fact that he does not have any chance of winning due to having only played three valid tournaments is his recent fatherhood. Alaia, the third in the saga after Kepa and Eneko, was born a little over a month ago, in the middle of the season’s final stretch.

For all these reasons, the Biscayan decided after the Andalucía Masters, where he was sixth, to put an end to it. The LIV season begins on February 6 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but before that he can play if he wishes some of the first tournaments of the DP World Tour, a circuit that wants to sanction him but in which he can play thanks to a precautionary measure while the Justice will settle the matter.