Two-time major champion Jon Rahm has admitted he is unsure whether he will be able to play in the 124th US Open due to injury.
Rahm withdrew from a LIV Golf League event in Houston during the second round on Saturday due to a left foot infection, then arrived for a pre-tournament press conference at No 2 in Pinehurst wearing only one pair of shoes and a pair of flip-flops.
The Spaniard is scheduled to tee off at 1.36pm local time on Thursday alongside former Masters champions Hideki Matsuyama and Jordan Spieth, but revealed he is struggling with the issue ahead of this week's major tournament.
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Take a look back at the best action from the thrilling final round of the 121st US Open at Torrey Pines, where Jon Rahm took an impressive victory.
“It’s a concern,” the 2021 U.S. Open winner said. “It's getting better, but it's still painful. Could we have gone out (on Saturday) and improved on the score? Yes.
“But it got to the point where I couldn't swing the way I wanted to, and the pain could have hurt other parts of my swing. That's not the case at this point this week. I don't know.”
Jon Rahm finished in the top 10 at every LIV Golf event before withdrawing from last week's event.
When asked how he got injured, Rahm added: “We've been trying to figure that out because I think the closest term is a skin lesion. Let me show you, it's a little hole between my skin, my little toe and my next toe.
“I don't know how or what happened, but it got infected. It was a lot of pain. Saturday round, I got a (pain-relieving) shot on Saturday morning to numb the area. It was supposed to last the whole round. In the second hole. I have already suffered.
“Infection was a concern. Now it's under control, but there's still swelling and pain. There's a reason you walk all the way out here in shoes and sandals and try to keep the area dry, although you can treat it as quickly as possible. “The human body can’t work that fast.”
Are you ready for Rahm?
Rahm won't play a practice round until Wednesday, but he can at least draw on his experience playing the course a few weeks ago as he looks to improve on his poor results at majors this season.
Jon Rahm is seeking his first world title since winning the Masters last April.
“I’m in a happy place,” insisted the former world No. 1, who finished 45th in defending his Masters title and missed the cut at the PGA Championship. “A lot of people make it sound like I'm playing bad, but I'm not playing bad. I've had a bad couple of weeks.
“I've been in the top 10 and had a chance to win most tournaments I've played, but unfortunately Augusta and PGA weren't my best results, but yeah, I'm happy.
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“I mean, you've had a great career so far. And, yeah, the first half of the year wasn't the best, but there were a lot of times when you didn't get off to a great start. But that doesn't mean you have to finish well. “I can't do it.”
When is the Sky Sports US Open held?
Sky Sports is the home of the US Open, with over 45 hours of live coverage of the four-day tournament from 13 to 16 June and plenty of additional tournament programming throughout the week.
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The men's major season continues this month with the US Open, broadcast live on Sky Sports. Who can stop Scottie Scheffler from winning at Pinehurst?
“Live from the U.S. Open” will feature eight hours of build-up, interviews, analysis and practice activity on Wednesday, with coverage beginning at 2 p.m., ahead of 24-hour coverage of each of the four tournament rounds.
Coverage for the first two rounds will begin at 12.30pm on Thursday and Friday, with more than 12 hours live on both days, with action starting at 3pm on Saturday and 2pm on the final day.
Who will be the third men's major winner this year? Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports. The live broadcast begins on Sky Sports Golf from 12.30pm on Thursday. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and more with NOW.
