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Jon Rahm eager to play again after foot infection kept him out of the U.S. Open

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Jon Rahm Eager to Play Again After Foot Infection Kept Him Out of the U.S. Open
COLLEGE GROVE, Tenn. (AP) — Jon Rahm is ready to stop watching TV and get back to playing golf.
The Spanish golfer had to withdraw six holes into the second round of his last event due to an infection between the toes on his left foot. This infection also forced him to pull out of the U.S. Open before his tee time.
With the infection now manageable, Rahm is set to return for LIV Golf’s inaugural event in Tennessee starting Friday. He resumes his pursuit of his first win since joining the Saudi-funded LIV Golf last December and his first victory anywhere in the world since the U.S. Open.
“I feel ready to walk and hit it,” Rahm said. “I haven’t been able to do much. It doesn’t take much for me to feel ready to compete. Looking forward to it. Just happy that I’m here.”
Rahm ranks second to Chile’s Joaquin Niemann in the LIV standings, thanks to finishing in the top 10 in each of the tour’s first seven events. His team is also second in the standings, with five events remaining before the team championship in Dallas.
LIV Golf’s next event will be on Rahm’s home turf in Andalucia, Spain, starting July 12. This begins a hectic stretch that includes the British Open, LIV Golf United Kingdom, and the Olympics. Rahm is among six LIV Golf players set to compete in the Paris Games and is eager to win a medal for Spain.
First, the man with 20 career wins has to swing a club again. The three-day event is being played on a course designed by LIV Golf Commissioner Greg Norman, which opened in 2012 and will play as a par 71 over 7,267 yards.
“Since I haven’t done as much as I would have liked at home, I probably need to make a few extra swings on the range and maybe on the course just to try to get my body up to speed as soon as possible,” Rahm said.
Not Letting Go
Rahm will have to put the U.S. Open trophy down long enough to try and win his first individual LIV title this season. He won twice last year, with his team winning the 2023 championship. This season, his best LIV Golf finish was fourth in March in Saudi Arabia.
He just won his second U.S. Open after finishing as runner-up at the PGA Championship in May. DeChambeau has been carrying the U.S. Open trophy around with him since winning at Pinehurst No. 2, including a Wednesday night party in Nashville’s honky tonk district.
“I’m here to go play the best golf I can and inspire others and give people some great entertainment,” DeChambeau said.
Close to Home
Caleb Surratt is as close as he could get to home at this inaugural event. Born in North Carolina, he played at the University of Tennessee, where he won the 2023 Southeastern Conference title. He still has a home in Knoxville despite turning pro.
That’s why he has lots of friends asking for tickets in what feels like a home game.
Surratt is also LIV Golf’s youngest player at the age of 20, keeping him out of those famed honky tonks.
“I can’t get in anywhere, so it’s not really on my radar, no,” Surratt said.
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AP golf:
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NEXT: Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie, qualifies for first USGA event at age 15 with 1-under 71

Tiger Woods’ Son, Charlie, Qualifies for First USGA Event at Age 15 with 1-Under 71 CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — Charlie Woods earned his way into his first USGA championship on Wednesday when the 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods posted the leading score among qualifiers for the U.S. Junior Amateur next month at Oakland Hills. Charlie Woods recovered from a bogey-double bogey start at Eagle Trace Golf Club to finish with a 1-under 71, becoming the medalist from his qualifier. He was one of four players to qualify from the site. “I didn’t play great my first two holes, but I played really well for the last 16. I just told myself not to make any more bogeys or doubles and took advantage of some nice birdie looks when I had them,” Woods said. Tiger Woods was 14 when he qualified for his first U.S. Junior, reaching the semifinals. He won his first U.S. Junior Amateur a year later at Bay Hill in 19 holes. Tiger Woods is the only player to win the U.S. Junior three straight times. Players have to be under 19 before the championship ends. The U.S. Junior Amateur is scheduled for July 22-28 at Oakland Hills in the suburbs of Detroit. Woods will be among 264 players who will go through 36 holes of stroke play on the North and South courses at Oakland Hills to determine which 64 players advance to match play. Tiger Woods is a nine-time USGA champion — three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs, three straight U.S. Amateurs, and three U.S. Open titles. “The USGA means a lot to me,” Charlie Woods said. “I want to win USGA championships and hopefully one day the U.S. Open.” ___ AP golf:

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