The 2024 season has been a mixed bag for Jon Rahm. It has unquestionably been kind to his bank account and the future of his family, with an absurdly lucrative contract with LIV Golf catapulting him all the way to No. 2 on Forbes' annual richest athletes list.

Conversely, he has not fared well at majors, finishing 45th at the Masters and missing the cut at the PGA Championship last month. The U.S. Open offers Rahm an opportunity to get back in contention on a big stage. If he can stay healthy, that is.

The Spaniard is dealing with an injury, specifically a cut between his toes, via NUCLR GOLF. Rahm was visibly hampered by the issue at LIV Houston on Friday afternoon, wincing in immediate pain after an errant swing.

This did not pop out of nowhere, though. The 29-year-old had his foot tended to prior to his opening round, per Tee Times, so he was presumably monitoring the situation ahead of this tournament. Although LIV is responsible for his substantial increase in wealth, competing in next week's U.S. Open in Pinehurst, North Carolina is surely the two-time major champion's top priority.

A potential blister could be an unbearable nuisance over the course of 72 holes, or 54 in this case. Jon Rahm may need to take precautions for the rest of the weekend. Regardless of how he progresses in Houston, this is definitely not an ideal tune-up for one of the biggest events on the golf calendar.

Can Jon Rahm get right in time for Thursday?

There is always added pressure on LIV golfers during a major. They continue to lose exposure during the rest of the season and are not recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking system. Hence, performing well in front of a large national audience against the best that the PGA Tour has to offer is a chance to make a strong statement.

Rahm has yet to do that since making the big move to LIV, one he originally scoffed at, and is also still in search for his first win with the Saudi-backed league. The Arizona State alum has top-five finishes in three of his last five LIV tournaments and is currently tied for sixth at 4-under par through 12 holes at the Golf Club of Houston.

It will be interesting to see how this cut fares in the coming days. Rahm's first major victory came at the 2021 U.S. Open, which means he is probably extra sentimental about this Father's Day weekend tradition. The former No. 1 ranked golfer in the world has a little less than a week to sort everything out.