Jon Rahm’s bid to win the US PGA Championship came crashing down on Sunday as he squandered £1.1million in prize money in the final three holes to finish in a tie for eighth place
Jon Rahm’s wife, Kelley Cahill, showed her unwavering support by sharing a touching moment with the LIV Golf star immediately after he missed out on a £1.1million prize at the US PGA Championship. The Spaniard was closely pursuing Scottie Scheffler for most of the final day but suffered a crushing end to the final round of the US PGA.
Rahm had made three birdies in a four-hole stretch around the turn to briefly pull level with the eventual winner. However, the 30-year-old on Sunday dropped five shots over the infamous ‘Green Mile’ closing three-hole stretch.
He bogeyed 16 before double-bogeying 17 and 18 to fall out of contention and hand the advantage back to Scheffler. World No. 1 Scheffler ultimately won the Wanamaker Trophy by five strokes, while Rahm had to settle for a nine-way tie for eighth in the second major of the year.
His meltdown at the end didn’t just land a blow to his professional pride, but also prevented him from becoming the third Spaniard to win three majors while taking a hefty chunk of around £1.1m ($1.5m) out of his potential earnings.
He would have pocketed a staggering £1.49m ($2m) if he had managed to hold onto solo second place but ultimately had to settle for T8 and £309,503 ($415,262) in prize money.
And he shared a heart-warming moment with his wife following the devastating conclusion at Quail Hollow, which showcased the strength of their relationship.
In footage shared on CBS’ social media channels, Rahm – who hasn’t clinched a major title since his move to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series at the end of 2023 – can be seen walking up to Kelley, who opened her arms to embrace him as he rested his head on her shoulder after carding a fourth-round 2-over 73 to finish with a 4-under total.
Kelley has been at his side through the ups and the downs over the last few years, having shared a tearful embrace following his Masters triumph in April 2023.
The romance between them began in their college days at Arizona State University where they crossed paths at a Halloween party and have remained together ever since, marrying in 2019. Their family includes two boys, Kepa and Eneko, along with their daughter Alaia.
She supported Rahm through his highly controversial decision to join LIV in 2013, which caused a huge stir in the golfing community after he had vowed to stay with the PGA Tour.
The switch reportedly came with a staggering offer of around £240m for Rahm to join the breakaway league, which will go some way towards softening the blow of his recent disappointment, at least in financial terms.
Yet, Rahm expressed his agony after Sunday’s disappointment, admitting: “The last three holes… it’s a tough pill to swallow right now.”
“A lot of positives to take from this week, but 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.”
Before his move to LIV, Rahm had secured a place in the top 10 in 12 out of his previous 22 major appearances (approximately 55%). However, since the switch, he has only managed the feat once in four major tournaments, and his streak of 18 consecutive major cuts has ended.
Apart from a T7 at last year’s Open, the Ryder Cup star, who won the 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters, had a disappointing 2024 in the majors. And only a Sunday surge at the Masters saw him finish T14 at Augusta last month.
