Rahm: Move to LIV had 'nothing to do' with dip in major form

It's probably safe to kill the narrative that Jon Rahm's move to LIV Golf has hurt his major form.

After poor showings in the Masters and PGA Championship last year, Rahm seemingly faced questions every time he stood behind a microphone about whether his switch to LIV impacted his ability to compete on golf's biggest stages. However, the last three starts have proven he's still the world-class player he's always been, with Saturday's showing at Quail Hollow the strongest sign yet.

Rahm fired a 4-under 67 in the third round to charge up the leaderboard and post 6-under for the tournament, positioning himself firmly in the mix for a third career major championship.

Asked after the round if LIV affected his major preparation, Rahm quickly put that chatter to rest, once and for all.

"Me going to LIV and playing worse in majors had nothing to do with where I was playing golf. My swing was simply not at the level it had to be for me to compete," Rahm said, according to ASAP Sports. "It's easier to post a score on non-major championship courses and venues, and I think when you get to the biggest stages like this one and these courses, those flaws are going to get exposed, and it did."

Rahm has recorded a top-10 result in every LIV event he's played, an impressive feat that needs context for its importance. With only 54 players in a LIV tournament - and numerous players consistently showing poor form - a top-10 finish doesn't hold the same significance as a 156-man PGA TOUR field.

Still, that shouldn't put any doubt into Rahm's status as a top player. His last three outings in major championships have shown he's just as dangerous as he's always been. Rahm expressed his excitement at Saturday's press conference about being back in a position to make a run at the trophy on a Sunday.

"Very happy with the state of my game. I think today was the round that I knew I was capable of. Those first two rounds felt very confident, and just did everything a little bit better," Rahm said. "So just very excited again to be in this position and looking forward to hopefully having a good Sunday tomorrow."