Since taking his talents from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf last year, Jon Rahm has been one of the most consistent players on the planet.
In fact, in 21 starts on the Saudi-backed circuit thus far, the two-time major champ has never once finished outside the top 10, his worst result being a tie for 10th last May in Singapore.
That said, however, anyone who knows anything about LIV Golf knows that the format is far different, as every event features a limited field of 54 players playing three rounds instead of four with no cut.
So, while the Spaniard's record is still impressive, it's not nearly as impressive as it would be if he were still playing the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour, or just about any other professional tour in existence. But the beauty is that Rahm himself is actually completely aware of it.
During his pre-tournament press conference ahead of this week's U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, the 2021 champ at Torrey Pines was asked about his top-10 streak and offered up a refreshing response.
"Listen, I'm a realist in this case. I've been playing really good golf, yes, but I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't easier to have top-10s with a smaller field," Rahm said. "That's just the truth, right?
"Had I been playing full-field events, would I have top-10s every single week? No. But I've been playing good enough to say that I would have most likely been inside the top 30 every single time and maybe even top 25, which, for 21 straight tournaments, I'd say that's pretty good. I still would have had a lot of top-10s, that's for sure."
Rahm tied for eighth this past weekend at LIV Golf Virginia, shooting 10-under over 54 holes, ultimately finishing five shots back of winner Joaquín Niemann, who recorded his record-setting fourth victory of the season.
Rahm says he likely would've finished outside the top 10 elsewhere with that performance. He also said he'd trade some of his top-10s for a few more victories, of which he has none this season, and opined that winning a golf tournament is difficult, regardless of the tour, which is absolutely correct. But he then doubled down on a top-10 result being a bit simpler with LIV Golf.
"I think winning is equally as hard," Rahm continued, "but you can take advantage of a smaller field to finish higher, right? I wouldn't always -- as much as I want to give credit personally for having that many top-10s, I wouldn't always give it as the full amount, just knowing it's a smaller field."
Rahm certainly won't be taking on a small field this week, as he and 155 others are set to tee it up at Oakmont, where he has some fond memories, as he took low-amateur honors as a 21-year-old back at the 2016 U.S. Open, tying for 23rd.