Jon Rahm has dismissed suggestions that his recent slump in form is due to a lack of competitiveness in LIV Golf.

The former world No. 1, who boasts two major wins at the 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters, has been noticeably off his game this year following his controversial decision to leave the PGA Tour in December.

Despite not yet securing a win on the Saudi-backed competitor, and experiencing a series of disappointments at the majors – including finishing T45 at Augusta, missing the cut at the PGA Championship, and withdrawing from the US Open due to a foot infection – Rahm remains optimistic.

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In a press conference ahead of LIV Golf Andalucia in his home country of Spain, he rated his season so far as a six or seven out of 10. When asked by a journalist if the format was less competitive than before, Rahm simply responded: “No.”

He reiterated his answer when asked again, and when probed further about what was missing, he said: “It’s not easy to win golf tournaments. I’ve been close. I just haven’t got it done.

His comments have reignited the debate among fans over the competitiveness of LIV versus PGA. One fan argued on social media: “It should be easy to win in LIV tournaments, Jon. Very few players there would be competitive on the PGA.”

“Haha you can not sit there and tell me that LIV is just as competitive. You LIVer’s man,” a user mocked, while another chimed in: “Just because he doesn’t ‘feel’ like it’s less competitive doesn’t make it less true. The results speak for themselves.”

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Another argued: “If anything @livgolf_league is harder to win… only three rounds… no more slacker Thursdays… come ready to play or hit the bricks! “.

A supporter highlighted: “His team (Legion 13) has finished first, he finishes in the top five or 10 of nearly every LIV event, dealt with a foot injury, and the season isn’t over. His game is not in decline. Clue to the clueless, no one wins all the time. Golf has its cycles.”

And yet another suggested: “Only a win at LIV Andalucia, The Open or the Olympics can save Rahm’s season. He has found out the standard on LIV higher than expected.”

Rahm’s critics have been vocal, with one pundit, Eamon Lynch, scathingly calling him a “competitive irrelevance” since his £450million switch to LIV earlier this week. A major triumph might just be the perfect retort to silence the skeptics.