A notable participant will likely be absent from The American Specific in mid-January, the primary PGA Tour occasion held within the continental United States every year.

Jon Rahm, who received this occasion—previously generally known as The Bob Hope Traditional—in 2023, was not among the many names introduced for the 2024 version on Tuesday, per Joel Beall of Golf Digest.

A few of the gamers that may compete embrace Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, and Tom Kim.

Thus, the defending champion won’t have the chance to defend his title, which consequently, reinvigorated his affiliation with LIV Golf.

In current weeks, the Rahm to LIV rumors have swelled, and lots of indicators level to the two-time main champion making the soar to the Saudi-backed circuit.

He pulled out of the TGL league in early November, has shut associations with Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia, and now, the Spaniard won’t defend a title of his on the PGA Tour.

“I’ve by no means actually performed the sport of golf for financial causes,” Rahm mentioned on the 2022 U.S. Open.

Photograph by Andrew Redington/Getty Photos

“I’ve at all times been considering historical past and legacy, and proper now the PGA Tour has that. There’s a that means once you win the Memorial Championship. There’s a that means once you win Arnold Palmer’s occasion at Bay Hill. There’s a that means once you win [Los Angeles], Torrey [Pines], a few of these historic venues. That to me issues quite a bit.”

The American Specific pales compared to the Memorial or to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, however the occasion does have loads of historical past. It has at all times been performed in Palm Springs, California in January, with the well-known comic Bob Hope internet hosting the sport’s finest gamers.

For a lot of, Bob Hope’s occasion served as a reprieve from the tough winters that descends upon many of the United Sates throughout January.

With that mentioned, maybe one thing has modified with Rahm.

Possibly he does go to LIV Golf in spite of everything.

He has been quiet about these rumors, as no one from his camp has mentioned a phrase about these whispers. Whereras up to now, the Spaniard has publicly squashed any notion of his affiliation with LIV from the get-go. He most not too long ago did so in August.

Regardless of that, this time of 12 months in golf is comparatively quiet. Stars like Rahm normally prefer to take pleasure in peace and quiet, particularly after Tiger Woods’ Hero World Problem. And on prime of that, they use the month of December to sharpen their video games, and get their psychological and bodily states prepared for what’s the grind of a PGA Tour season.

Maybe Rahm is doing that now. Possibly he determined to skip The American Specific to deal with different signature occasions, like The Sentry and the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am.

However who is aware of.

The one factor for sure is that these subsequent few weeks will likely be very fascinating as we be taught Rahm’s destiny.

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. You should definitely take a look at @_PlayingThrough too.