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Jon Rahm's challenging season took another unexpected turn on Tuesday as the Spanish golfer announced his withdrawal from the 2024 U.S. Open due to a foot injury.
Jon Rahm withdraws in favor of long term recovery
Rahm arrived at a press conference at Pinehurst sporting one flip-flop, revealing the extent of his discomfort from a lingering toe injury.
This latest setback comes just days after he was forced to withdraw from a LIV Golf event in Houston.
Rahm announced his decision on X late Tuesday afternoon, stating: "After consulting with numerous doctors and my team, I have decided it is best for my long term health, to withdraw from this weeks US Open Championship. To say I'm disappointed is a massive understatement! I wish all my peers the best of luck and want to thank all of the USGA staff, volunteers and community of Pinehurst for hosting and putting on what I'm sure will be an amazing championship! Hopefully I'll be back in action sooner than later!"
The 2021 U.S. Open champion had earlier explained during a press conference that he has been struggling with an infected lesion on his left foot.
"It's a concern. It's doing better. It's doing better. But definitely still in pain," Rahm said, emphasizing the ongoing challenges he faces despite treatment.
Rahm detailed the difficulties he encountered at the LIV Golf event in Houston, where he initially attempted to compete.
"I don't know how or what happened, but it got infected," he shared.
"The pain was high. On the Saturday round, Saturday morning, I did get a shot to numb the area. It was supposed to last the whole round, and by my second hole I was in pain already. The infection was the worrisome part," he added.
"The infection is now controlled, but there's still swelling and there's still pain. There's a reason I walked out here in a shoe and a flip-flop, trying to keep the area dry and trying to get that to heal as soon as possible. But I can only do what I can do. The human body can only work so fast."
Rahm's major performances have declined after ing LIV
Despite a promising start to the year with a win at the Masters in 2023 and a series of top-10 finishes at LIV events, Rahm has faced increasing scrutiny following his switch to LIV Golf.
His performance at major tournaments has notably declined, with a tie for 45th at Augusta and a missed cut at the PGA Championship.
Nonetheless, Rahm remains optimistic about his overall performance and future prospects.
"I'm in a happy place. It's not like I've been playing bad, even though a lot of you make it sound like I'm playing bad,"Rahm said. "Yeah, it hasn't been the best first half of the year, but there's been many times where I haven't had a great start, but that doesn't mean you can't have a great finish."
Rahm's departure from the U.S. Open is another blow in a season marked by challenges and unfulfilled potential.
He is hopeful for a swift recovery and return to competition, with the next LIV Golf event scheduled for next week in Nashville.