Jon Rahm gets candid about one of golf’s toughest challenges: six-hour rounds during The Open Championship at Royal Portrush. In a rare on-camera moment, Rahm highlights the exhaustion, shifting conditions, and mental fatigue that players endure—and points out that this kind of marathon play simply doesn’t happen in LIV Golf formats. Watch Rahm’s thoughtful take on whether traditional tournament structures still make sense for elite players in 2025.
🎥 Filmed at The Open 2025
🏌️♂️ What do marathon rounds do to your game?
⚡ Could LIV Golf be driving the evolution of tournament golf?
Lastly, just a related thing as a lot of players talking about the slow play and Bryson’s just been in saying maybe we should time the whole round just and and go on that basis. Have you got any ideas how to quicken things up? They ask me in Spanish about pace of play. Has it been an issue? Has it been an issue? Yeah, it’s really slow this. Well, like I told them, at least the people that played on my wave, we had a lot of rain coming in and out. So, you know, umbrellas out, glove out, put the rain gear on, take the rain gear off, keep umbrella to the caddy. It’s just it becomes a lot longer that way. Uh like I said to them, it usually is very much related to the amount of players on the field. When you have 150 plus, the first two rounds, every single major except the masters obviously is going to be longer rounds. It’s just what it is. Um we don’t have in smaller fields when you have less people and even in three sometimes small fields, you don’t really have that issue, right? like once they get to the playoffs or DP World Tour Championship or Abu Dhabi, those are not things that that become an issue, right? So, I think there’s so many players and there’s so many opportunities to where the game can get delayed, right? Like you can reach the second hole, you can reach five, you can let them finish or they’re going to wave up or you can reach seven, you can reach 12, then plenty of holes like 16 where things can get lengthened, right? So, that’s just going to happen. It’s it’s the flow of the game. There’s very little you can do to make those rounds a lot shorter. It’s just the nature of the game. What is your personal uh like approach to just kind of playing at at speed? Do you have a thought to that? Tell you what, it’s it’s a bit of an adjustment uh after playing in lift cuz we absolutely fly. And one thing we do, I mean, I feel like every round is less than four and a half hours unless the weather conditions are crazy like Dorado might be a little bit longer. So it it is an adjustment when you get to play a six-hour round a little bit, but it I also know it’s going to happen. So talk to your caddy, talk to your playing partners, and uh while there’s nothing you can do, just try to keep your mind engaged in something else but the game, right? Just not be thinking, okay, I have this hole and keep thinking on what you’re going to do, right? Just distract yourself a little bit and you know, basically lock back in when it’s when it’s done. There’s nothing else you can do.
37 Comments
It isn't an issue at LIV because they aren't playing majors there! Plus, nobody cares about LIV, so who cares how long it takes them. He is lucky he gets to play in majors. He has earned it, but quit whining. Take your gazillions and be silent.
I bet he wouldn’t complaining if he was leading 😂
Nothing worse than a crying ass millionaire
I understand "It is what it is", but there is NO EXCUSE for 6 hour rounds. Decreasing the number of players will not fix the problem, it will only delay the inevitable. In 10 years they will be taking as much time as a full field is now. 40 years ago we were complaining about PGA events taking 'almost' 5 hours. Yes, it's a serious event and they are playing for lots of money, but professional athletes in other sports figure out a way to play their best within the time constraints of their sport. btw 65 years old 4 hdcp, carry my own clubs and on a 6700 yard course I finish in well under 3 hours.
You know what else doesn’t happen on LIV? Any eyeballs watching.
Liv golfers shouldn't even be playing majors ffs. 😂😂😂
start putting people on the clock for slow play
Nobody likes slow play but please lets not bring liv golf into it where as others have already said on this comments section everyone has been paid before they start so where are the consequences and where is the drama 🤔
Reporters ask the same question every year…
How can we get 156 players using a single tee start around the course in under 6 hours??
How can we stop rain being wet ? 😂😂😂
No round of golf should take less than 8 hours. So a 6 hour round of golf is actually pretty fast. If they want to reduce the time, reduce the round to 6 holes. 18 is a bit much. When I won the Monkey Foursome, we played 4 holes. We went down #1 and 2, and came back up #17 and 18. The entire tournament took about 45 minutes.
Well summed up most par 5s can be reached in two it adds a lot of time to the game.
The problem is they too long to hit a shot. They have people looking for their ball everywhere losing a ball is almost impossible so they should not take this long six hours is a joke.
Says they “fly round” in under 4.5 hours in Liv.
That’s still ridiculously slow.
Of course casual golf is faster…..
The more money that’s in a purse, the slower the game. 50% of the field don’t get paid when they don’t make the cut or whatever the percentage is 🤷🏻♂️
If I’m out of the top 50 and there’s a big purse hanging around, I’ll take my time ta
😂
Nobody ever seems to grasp that:
1) The golf courses are massive, theyre often in excess of 7,500 yards
2) Theyre set up ridiculously hard, with deep rough everywhere
3) Conditions can often be tough, wind, rain, or even extreme HEAT in the US
4) There are thousands and thousands of people everywhere walking across the course and need to be moved
5) They will attempt to reach par 5s in two or drive par 4s
6) Theyre having to try to be ultra precise with every shot because theyre not just out there for banter
OF COURSE PROFESSIONAL GOLF IS SLOW BECAUSE ITS NOTHING TO DO WITH CASUAL GOLF.
A literal idiot could understand this.
i watch ALL LIV GOLF THE OTHERS I WILL WATCH IF THERES NOTHING ELSE BUT WATHING THE AMERICAN OPEN AND THE OPAN ON A TIP NO THANGS
There is no time limit on a round of golf. Any assumed number of hours for a 2, 3 or 4 balls is only an unwritten etiquette for want of a different word. As John rahm says, they are expecting it. So are the spectators and the media who cover the event. Every tournament seems to attract the same complainants. If you don't like it, find something else to complain about.
To be fair liv is pretty fast. But it’s got way less players and it’s like playing a golf society weekend over one of the most important historic golfing events in the world.
Well said, Sir. 😎
48 players per tournament. Okay. And they are all employees who already have been paid. Change the format to a per tourney qualification and open it up to all players in the world. Might be interesting.
Slow play has always been an issue. And there are always players that complain about it. But using LIV golf as a bellwether is ridiculous.
Take the caddies off of the greens if not off of the tour.
Well LIV is a way smaller field……it’s not going to change, how about taking away the constant marathon chitchat between player and caddie…..THAT has become ridiculous
LIV>pga
Liv players are weak no competition there 👎👎👎👎
Play a lot of links golf with LIV? No of course not. Check the number of bodies genius.
Reduce the starting field? Why not?
A fair, honest assessment. It is a huge field, it is hot, cold, wet, dry etc and it’s a links course with 4 balls.
3 balls are always going to be quicker and LIV generally go to nice hot places so aren’t too affected by the rain … except maybe when they play in England!!! 😂 (and maybe Singapore.)
Plus LIV use Laser Range Finders and stop the caddies having ridiculously lengthy conversations … about a chip from 84 yards!!! 🙄
LIV has a different mentality all together. 👍
Hi All I played golf for 25yrs and had a 3 handicap. I once played 4 rounds in one day on a shorter course but they would not do this on a pga tour no way. Yes they are playing for a lot of money but come on get on with it. what are these timers doing, if they were doing there suppose job properly there would be no slow play. Liv golf maybe not everyones cup of tea but its over and done with quickly. Maybe they need to fine those who take over 5hrs a round I am sure that would fasten play up
I don't know how many times I saw golfers stepping away multiple times on a shot … same players always and long talks with caddies. Lowry and his caddy seemed to have a conference for every shot. I get it's a lot of money, but damn, can you play these shots or not?
Exhibition golf is faster 😂
Bobby Locke played a round in the Open in 3.25 hours many years ago. The group behind complained about his slow play.
Modern tournament play is very different, so much money at stake. Up to the R&A to legislate, otherwise young golfers will see 4 or 5 hours as normal.
When the player takes out his book and the caddy takes out his book and then they both take out their books and talk it over before checking again it takes forever.
Theres omly about 40 in the field at a LIV event. He dorsnt have to play in it if he diesnt like it. JUDUS
Early in the morning I can play a 2 hour round, With 3 others that can slow to 3 1/2 hours. More than 4 for professionals is a travesty – Seriously if you can drive the distances they do and keep it on the fairway then what are they doing? If the can’t keep it on the fairway then make the rough tough and the OB big and if they can’t do it get them off the tour.
🤡