'Sad' Masters champ on Jon Rahm: "I don't know if he will be able to do that now"

Former Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal says it makes him 'terribly sad' that Jon Rahm may not have the chance to create history and etch his name into the 'golden pages' of golf. 

The two-time green jacket winner opened up on the subject of Rahm in a recent interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais. 

Olazabal made it clear that he has always respected Rahm's choice to join LIV given the golfer reportedly penned a five-year contract worth £450m ($566.4m).

But it still surprised him nonetheless given Rahm had always made it abundantly clear he had no plans to leave the PGA Tour. 

"With the insane amount of money they put on the table I respect it," Olazabal told the paper.

"But it surprised me because Jon had been very clear in his words, and because he had an extraordinary future ahead of him—the chance to make history in this sport, to write golden pages in golf. 

"And I don't know if he will be able to do that now. I don't know if playing LIV is the best preparation to stand out in the majors. 

"From my point of view, it's not the best option. It could especially hurt his competitiveness."

The former European Ryder Cup captain made it clear that he has not nor will he ever doubt Rahm's work ethic. 

But he believes he should be battling against the likes of World No.1 Scheffler on a more regular basis. 

"When the Masters comes around this year, he will give it his all and prepare in the best possible way. 

"But for the rest of the season, playing 12 or 14 tournaments with no cut, with only 54 players… it's not the same as competing against 150 and knowing that you could be sent home. 

"It makes me terribly sad that Jon is not among the top 50 players in the world  

"He's a star and should be up there with Scheffler, fighting every week to win it all."

Olazabal is not the first major champion this week to criticise LIV's format. 

Dame Laura Davies butted heads with Martin Kaymer's caddie Craig Connelly when discussing the Saudi-backed tour. 

Olazabal told El Pais that he is 'traditional' and also doesn't like the three-day events with no cuts.

And he also doesn't like the music. 

"It saddens me that money has divided golf," he said. "It's all about money, no doubt. I have always respected the decision of those who left. 

"If you put a check with a bunch of zeros in front of me, maybe I would have done the same. 

"But it's a shame that money has torn down in such a short time what took so many years to build."