PINEHURST, NC — Jon Rahm has withdrawn from this week’s U.S. Open just hours after holding his pre-tournament press conference at Pinehurst on Tuesday.
“After consulting with numerous doctors and my team, I have decided it is best for my long term health, to withdraw from this weeks US Open Championship,” Rahm posted in a statement to social media. “To say I’m disappointed is a massive understatement!
“I wish all my peers the best of luck and want to thank all of the USGA staff, volunteers and community of Pinehurst for hosting and putting on what I’m sure will be an amazing championship! Hopefully I’ll be back in action sooner than later!”
Rahm withdrew from last week’s LIV Golf Houston after the pain from an infected wound on his left foot became unbearable.
“If I were to show you, it’s a little hole in between my pinky toe and the next toe,” Rahm said Tuesday. “I don’t know how or what happened, but it got infected.”
Rahm received a shot to numb the area before the second round in Houston, but it couldn’t ease the pain.
“The pain was high,” he said. “I did get a shot to numb the area. It was supposed to last the whole round and by my second hole I was in pain already.”
Rahm said the infection has is no longer a concern, but he arrived to his U.S. Open press conference wearing one shoe and one flip flop.
“Trying to keep the area dry and trying to get that to heal as soon as possible. But I can only do what I can do. The human body can only work so fast.
As painful as it is, Rahm seemed more comfortable talking about foot infections than engaging in any discussion about the state of his game, which he believes is an overblown issue despite two missed cuts at the first two majors.
“It’s not like I’ve been playing bad, even though a lot of you make it sound like I’m playing bad. I had two bad weeks,” he said. “Yeah, it hasn’t been the best first half of the year, but there’s been many times where I haven’t had a great start, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great finish.”
On a sweltering day in Pinehurst, the temperature was further dialed up when a reporter asked Rahm if Scottie Scheffler’s dominant run puts pressure on him to shoot even lower scores, a question which assumes that’s a variable within a golfer’s control.
“No,” he answered with a look approaching a glare.
Next he was asked whether the thinks he has a good chance this week considering his injury and his current form.
“Anytime I tee it up, I feel like I have a good chance,” he answered.
He won’t be teeing it this week.