Monday Scramble: Jon Rahm continues Rahmpage, yet ludicrous he’s not world No. 1

Jon Rahm keeps rolling, Davis Thompson impresses in the spotlight, LIV finds a new home and more in this week's edition of the Monday Scramble: There’s been a lot of handwringing

recently about the top of the Official World Golf Ranking. That the stronger, limited-field events don’t receive enough points. That it’s going to take too long to flush out

results from the old system. That it’s ludicrous how Jon Rahm, world No. 4, couldn’t move into the top spot with a win last week at the American Express, but Patrick Cantlay,

world No. 5, could do just that. Frankly, we don’t need a ranking system for what is plainly obvious to anyone who has watched over the last few months: Jon Rahm is playing the

best golf in the world right now. Somehow, he has accessed another level. In complete command of his game, Rahm withstood a few furious rallies (and a tough-minded rookie) Sunday

at PGA West to go 2-for-2 to start the new year. He is 54 under par in his two tournament victories this year, and he’ll tee it up again in 48 hours at Torrey Pines, one of his

favorite spots in the world, where he also won the 2021 U.S. Open. It's looking more and more like another one of his patented Rahmpages. The sturdy Spaniard won three times

worldwide in 2022 but disappointed in the majors, where he didn’t post a single top-10 finish. All year he stressed that he was doing the right things, it just hadn’t paid off

yet. Not anymore. “They’re coming in a bunch right now,” he said. With four wins in his last six worldwide starts, Rahm is swinging as well as he ever has. Already the

game’s best driver, he’s pounding it longer and straighter. His wedge game is tighter, more precise. He’s running in putts from all over. His body feels fresh, powerful,

explosive. “Every time I’ve felt like this in the past, I’ve ended up going on to win,” he said, “just because it takes a lot of pressure off a lot of parts of my game

knowing that basically I’m going to hit the shot that I’m envisioning. And that’s a really unique zone to put yourself in.” But this isn't just a zone, a phase, a hot

streak. This sustained level of excellence is Rahm’s new normal. Form ebbs and flows throughout a long season, of course, but Rahm – now with nine wins and a 50% top-10 rate in

his Tour career – has proven that he’s built to last. He might be No. 3 in the world ranking, officially, but the eye test suggests otherwise. There's nobody better right now.

A few other notes from the first leg of the West Coast swing … • Davis Thompson should gain plenty of confidence after taking on the hottest player in the game, shooting 26