“Please, can you pass the salt?”

A simple request anytime you sit down for a meal, and whether or not you’re at home or at a restaurant

But then what happens if you’re a LIV Tour star at next April’s Masters ‘Former Champions Dinner’ and the question is directed at a fellow Masters winner who is a current PGA Tour or DP World Tour player?

That’s a question put to World No. 5 Jon Rahm ahead of this week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

Not that Rahm has yet to be fitted with an Augusta National members green jacket but he sees next April’s annual dinner being a ‘tense’ occasion given five of the dinners guests are now LIV Golf stars  – Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson.

DP World Tour No. 1 Jon Rahm (Photo – Getty/DP World Tour)

“Listen, it’s probably only funny to me, but I think the Masters champions dinner’s going to be a little tense compared to how it’s been in the past,” Rahm said.

“Too bad the U.S. Open doesn’t have one of those. But, yeah, I think it’s an exciting year.

“Obviously, we’re all curious about how it’s going to work out, but we’re all excited to see what this year’s going to, how it’s going to unfold and how it’s going to play out for everybody.”

Rahm is returning for a first time since ending 2022 with a share of eighth place at the Tiger Woods hosted Hero World Challenge.

And the Santa Claus to a father of two young boys offered the hint of a New Year wish and that’s the hope that whatever decision emerges to settle both warring sides in men’s pro golf it’s a joint decision.

“There’s some people that are going to have to make some tough choices, right?” said Rahm. “A little bit of that is out of my reach. I just hope the PGA of America and European Tour make a decision together.  It’s not smart to have one team allowing LIV players and one not.

“It’s just going to be an opportunity for all of them. We saw a younger US team last Ryder Cup, and they did what they did.

“So I’m hoping these younger European guys who have grown up watching the Ryder Cup and seeing their idols do what they do, let’s say, it energises the team a little bit in any manner, and we show up there to win.”