Jon Rahm shows true colours after $18m LIV Golf payday in Chicago

Jon Rahm secured an $18m bonus for claiming the individual championship of LIV Golf's third campaign nine months after his high-profile move. 

Rahm joined the Saudi-backed breakaway for a reported £450m ($566.6m) last December and has finished in the top-10 of every event he has played. 

The 2023 Masters champion took down LIV Golf Chicago on Sunday, winning by a margin of three strokes over Joaquin Niemann at Bolingbrook Golf Club. 

Rahm carded a final round of 4-under 66 which was good enough to seal the win and also claim the mega bonus for winning the individual title. 

Dustin Johnson was the individual champion in LIV's 'beta-test' 2022 season whilst Talor Gooch scooped the honour 12 months ago. 

"Today was a special day in many ways," Rahm said. 

"I woke up today really nervous, as I thought I would, and even warming up I told Adam [Hayes, his caddie], 'Man, I am really nervous.'

"But then I started thinking [that I was] playing with Sergio and Brooks and the last time [we played together] it was a good Sunday in Valderrama."

He added: "I'm just really happy to have played as good as I did. I mean, to have made one bogey all tournament is quite spectacular. 

"I'm really proud of how I played today and I'm really proud of that putt on 17 that made playing the 18th a lot easier."

Rahm's victory comes three days after he kept his 2025 Ryder Cup hopes alive by appealing his DP World Tour fines he has amassed since joining LIV. 

The Spaniard either had to pay his fines or appeal against them to be allowed to play in the three DP World Tour events he needs to retain his membership of the European-based tour and therefore be eligible for the Ryder Cup.

Rahm said he had no intention of paying the fines and, according to European skipper Luke Donald, was on the fence about appealing them. 

But at the last minute Rahm's team lodged an appeal. 

More follows. 

Which LIV Golf players were relegated?

Six players were relegated on Sunday. 

Pat Perez looked like he was going to be booted out of the league but Finland's Kalle Samooja made bogey in two out of his final three holes to drop into the relegation zone.

Along with Samooja, Scott Vincent, Branden Grace, Bubba Watson, Laurie Canter and Kieran Vincent were the unfortunate players who were relegated. 

Watson was exempt from being relegated owing to his team captaincy status, as was Hudson Swafford and Anthony Kim as wildcards. 

But LIV announced that Watson could face the boot in a shake-up to the rules. 

It will be up to LIV officials and commissioner Greg Norman if the two-time Masters champion will be a player in the 2025 LIV Golf League. 

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