Jon Rahm is in Indianapolis chasing more than just a win. From August 15–17, LIV Golf will play its first-ever event at The Club at Chatham Hills, the second-to-last regular-season stop of 2025. With the Individual Champion title on the line and the Team Championship coming next week, every shot matters — and Rahm already has a special local celebration in mind if he comes out on top.

When asked at Chatham Hills during the press conference if he would take part in the iconic milk celebration should he win, Jon Rahm didn’t hesitate. “100 percent. I already told them, too, that will happen, and before we head to Detroit, where if somebody wins individually or the team wins as a team… should go to the actual Brickyard Crossing and take a famous picture of kissing the bricks because I think it’s a cool tradition, and if you can get it done, then why not. I think it would be cool to do it,” Rahm said. The “milk” gesture is one of Indianapolis’ most recognizable victory rituals, famously tied to the Indy 500, while the “kissing the bricks” tradition comes from the NASCAR Brickyard 400, where winners kneel to kiss a preserved strip of the track’s original brick surface at the start/finish line. Rahm says these customs appeal to him because they offer a direct connection to the city’s deep sporting heritage, allowing him to celebrate in a way that goes beyond the usual champagne spray.

Given Rahm’s recent run — including a T2 finish in Chicago and five top-10s in his last seven starts- his season-long stats show why he’s a constant threat. He leads LIV Golf in greens in regulation (73.92%), ranks 2nd in total birdies (171), 5th in scrambling (64.50%), and 7th in driving distance (319.9 yards). That combination of accuracy and scoring power makes him dangerous on any course, and if he keeps this form rolling at Chatham Hills, fans might just see him swap champagne for milk in one of Indianapolis’ most iconic celebrations.

When Rahm visited the Speedway, he admired the tradition but chose to wait before participating.“I refused to do it that day because I don’t want to jinx the team or myself,” added Rahm. Rahm didn’t participate in the brick-kissing tradition during his Monday visit because he sees it as a pre-celebration ritual. In sports, many athletes believe that celebrating a win before the actual competition can bring bad luck or “jinx” their performance.

But when it comes to the milk celebration, he’s all in. “But the milk, I feel like it would be a very easy one to do, and to substitute champagne with milk, I think would be really, really fun to do.” For Rahm, it’s a chance to add a playful twist to a classic victory ritual while honoring Indianapolis’ unique sporting history.

The milk celebration isn’t just a quirky gimmick; it’s a storied tradition in Indianapolis with roots going back to the Indy 500. In 1933, driver Louis Meyer requested a glass of buttermilk after his second Indy 500 win as a refreshing drink on a hot day. By 1936, the gesture caught the attention of the dairy industry, and milk became an official part of the victory celebration. Today, winners receive a symbolic bonus from the American Dairy Association of Indiana, and the ritual has become a beloved local hallmark.

While the Indianapolis event promises fun and tradition for some, for others, it’s high stakes, high pressure, and potentially career-altering.

High Stakes for Players on the Edge of Relegation

This tournament is the final opportunity for players teetering on the edge of the league standings to avoid the dreaded Drop Zone, which threatens relegation from LIV Golf. For the three Majesticks GC co-captains, the situation is especially tense, and for obvious reasons,  Lee Westwood and Henrik Stenson sit perilously close at 47th and 48th, while Ian Poulter lags at 52nd, facing an uphill battle with slim odds of survival.

Poulter’s season has been a struggle, with few finishes inside the top 25 and an average driving distance ranking near the bottom of the league, leaving him reliant on a near-miraculous performance to stay in contention. He sits at rank 52 in the dropzone. Westwood, meanwhile, has shown flashes of form, with a lone top-10 and several solid mid-tier finishes, but the pressure of needing points in this final event could make Indianapolis a defining moment for him. Across the board, several other players, including Torque’s Mito Pereira, HyFlyers’ Andy Ogletree, and wildcard Anthony Kim, are all fighting to avoid falling into the league’s Drop Zone, making this week’s event a proper pressure cooker where every shot counts.

As the final round unfolds at Chatham Hills, Indianapolis will test skill, nerves, and determination. At the same time, Rahm aims to make history, and others fight to secure their place in the league.