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Jon Rahm's Driving Distance Could Be Key at LIV Golf South Africa
The Spaniard is looking to take advantage of the thick kikuyu grass at The Club at Steyn City.
Mar. 17, 2026 at 4:07pm
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LIV Golf is making its South Africa debut this week, and Jon Rahm of Spain isn't quite sure what to expect on his first visit to the nation. However, he believes his driving distance could be a major advantage on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course at The Club at Steyn City, which features thick kikuyu grass that typically favors long hitters.
Why it matters
Rahm is currently fourth in the LIV Golf League in driving distance, averaging 309.1 yards off the tee. He's also first in greens in regulation and birdies per round, so his power game could be a key factor in the low-scoring event in South Africa.
The details
The kikuyu grass at The Club at Steyn City is known to be tough to hit the ball out of, and Rahm believes that will give an advantage to the long hitters like himself. He expects the course to play shorter than the scorecard distance due to the altitude, which should also benefit the big hitters.
- LIV Golf is making its South Africa debut this week.
- The tournament will take place at The Club at Steyn City in Midrand, South Africa.
The players
Jon Rahm
A Spanish professional golfer who is currently fourth in the LIV Golf League in driving distance, averaging 309.1 yards off the tee.
Brooks Koepka
An American professional golfer who has returned to the PGA Tour after previously playing in LIV Golf.
Phil Mickelson
An American professional golfer who currently plays in the LIV Golf League.
What they’re saying
“Off the tee, you're not going to expect a lot of roll; you can probably be aggressive. There's quite a bit of a margin of error off the tee, so hitting it long is going to be an advantage. Greens seem to be soft. It's going to be tricky to get them as firm as they probably want to.”
— Jon Rahm
“Power and birdies is what you need. Not that people that hit it a little bit shorter can't do it, but when you give some of the best players in the world that have distance free range off the tee, you're going to see a lot of birdies, and I think that's what's going to happen.”
— Jon Rahm
What’s next
After LIV Golf South Africa, the tour will take a break until LIV Golf Mexico City on April 16-19. That break, of course, is for the Masters Tournament.
The takeaway
Rahm's driving distance and power game could give him a significant advantage at the LIV Golf event in South Africa, where the thick kikuyu grass and soft greens are expected to favor the long hitters. This event could be a preview of what to expect from Rahm at the upcoming Masters Tournament, where he will be looking to win his second green jacket.
