A wayward tee shot, a cart path ricochet, and a $30 million stage were already enough to send the $30 million event, LIV Golf Adelaide, into a frenzy. But then, something unexpected occurred on the 18th with Jon Rahm’s ball adventure. As the camera turned to Bryson DeChambeau, his shocked reaction told its own story.

“Well, it was shocking, obviously. I didn’t know that’s what could happen, so that was most of what the shock was. It was like, what the heck, you can do that? I didn’t know that. But ultimately, I didn’t really know from my perspective that it was okay over there, so I was kind of shocked,” Bryson DeChambeau said at a media press conference at LIV Golf Adelaide.

“That’s really all it was, ultimately. I didn’t think much of it other than that. I was trying to actually make it on top of him after he made it. I told G-Bo, let’s make it on top of him, and just came out a little dead. But no, I didn’t know that was there, and hopefully that can go in my favor at some point.”

Jon Rahm pulled his tee shot so far left that he hit the cart path twice and ended up on the 10th tee, not once but twice across the week. He himself called it “probably the most impressive thing I’ve done.”

That’s when the Temporary Immovable Obstruction (TIO) regulations came into play. Under the Model Local Rule F‑23 on TIOs, golfers get free relief from temporary immovable obstructions like grandstands, TV towers, and hospitality structures, including when these block the line of sight or intended swing.

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The Spaniard received free relief under the TIO Local Rule at LIV Golf Adelaide. As TIO came into play, he got to drop the ball at a much better angle near the 18th fairway. Thanks to that, he was able to hole his 62‑metre third shot into the wind after trying to land it 6–7 yards short of the flag.

LIV Golf captured the shot and posted it on Instagram.

As soon as the hole was captured, the cameras turned to Bryson DeChambeau, and he looked frustrated. The American professional admitted he simply did not realize Rahm could end up where he did via free relief.

He stressed it was more a matter of surprise than anger. But frustration could have leaned in, too. Until the incident that went down on the 18th hole, the Crushers GC captain was in the solo lead on the leaderboard. But the free relief let the Spaniard hit an eagle on the last hole of the 3rd round. This got him tied with DeChambeau at 19-under par.

To make matters worse, Crushers GC is not doing well as a team in Australia. None of the other 3 members of the team is in the top 25 at the end of Round 3. Charles Howell III is at T33, Anirban Lahiri is at T42, and Paul Casey is ranked T53. Thus, DeChambeau is the only one on the team performing exceptionally well. His chances of winning are the only glimmer of hope for the team. But he faces strong competition from Jon Rahm in that front, too.

If the 2025 LIV Golf individual champion continues to pull off stunts like this in the last round as well, it can become really challenging for Bryson DeChambeau to keep up with him. But although it was a shocker, the 2x major champion is hoping that the rule could sometimes be in his favor, too.

While things can sometimes get heated between the two LIV golfers on the course, they share a friendly relationship outside.

Jon Rahm’s prankster turn on Bryson DeChambeau at LIV Golf Duels

Jon Rahm displayed a playful side by pranking Phil Mickelson and Grant Horvat with rangefinders set to meters at the LIV Golf Duels in June 2025. This showed a lighter character beyond his intense on-course persona.

Rahm switched rangefinders from yards to meters. Thus, Mickelson and Horvat hit the shots short. Lefty was the one who spotted the issue first, and he said, “Did they do the meters thing? They did,” and suspected Rahm.

When confronted, Rahm quipped back innocently, saying, “Like I’m the only one who plays meters here. You got three Europeans.” Phil Mickelson stood speechless and smiled.

After the prank, reporters asked Jon Rahm who his next target would be. The Spaniard named Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton as the top targets for future pranks on driver settings. He said DeChambeau’s precision-focused game would lead to hilarious over-analysis.

From a lighthearted prank at LIV Golf Duels to a rules twist in Adelaide, Jon Rahm continues to keep both rivals and fans guessing. Whether it is a perfectly executed hole-out or playful mind games, Bryson DeChambeau knows that with Rahm, there is always something unexpected around the corner.