McIlroy sent message by Rahm after demanding change after LIV Golf deal
Jon Rahm’s switch to LIV Golf sent shockwaves through the golfing world, with none more shocked to hear the news than Rory McIlroy. Shortly after joining LIV, Rahm made sure to explain that this decision to leave the PGA Tour was just his own and he made sure to thank his Ryder Cup teammate, as well as Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay.
“The names that come to mind are Patrick Cantlay, Rory and Tiger Woods,” Rahm said on FOX News. “They’ve spent a lot of time in meetings and phone calls learning about what the future of the game may look like, and I want to say thank you.
“I truly hope their resolve is what they want. This wasn’t anything personal with them, it was the choice for me and my family and the better of our future. I hope all the friends that I made still stay my friends, because I’m certainly not going to change and who I am doesn’t really change.”
With Rahm switching to LIV, it remains to be seen if he will give up his right to represent Team Europe in the Ryder Cup. Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood did not join Team Europe as they were fined for joining LIV and resigned their DP World Tour memberships.
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Upon hearing the news, McIlroy couldn’t help but share his disappointment knowing he won’t be playing against his Ryder Cup teammate as frequently.
“It’s hard to sit here and criticize Jon because of what a great player he is and the experiences I’ve had with him, but all I would say is that I’ll be disappointed not to play against him more regularly in the future,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “I am going to miss competing against him week-in-week-out. He is such a good player, he has so much talent. He is so tenacious, and a great teammate at the Ryder Cup. I have nothing but good things to say about Jon. I respect the hell out of him as a golfer.
“He seems like he wants to live his life the right way. He wants to be a good dad, a good husband. You can’t judge someone for making a decision that is the best thing for them.”
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What’s more, the 34-year-old demanded a change in Ryder Cup eligibility to accommodate players who transferred to LIV as he wants Rahm to remain a teammate.
“As someone who has played on three Ryder Cup teams with Jon… Jon is going to be in Bethpage in 2025,” McIlroy said. “So because of this decision the European Tour are going to have to rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup eligibility, absolutely, there is no question about that. I certainly want Jon Rahm on the next Ryder Cup team.”
Rahm joined LIV on a deal worth anywhere between £450-600 million for five years. However, European Ryder Cup players must be members of the DP World Tour under current regulations, with fines imposed on any player who competes in an LIV event.
Once the possibility of Rahm leaving the PGA Tour to join LIV became more of a reality, both Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods shared their thoughts on the situation.
“So it would really not be very good for us in general, because we want to play against the best players in the world, and that’s what Jon is. I know there’s been some guys that have talked to him. I know he’s maybe weighing some decisions, maybe not,” Speith said. “I really don’t know, so I don’t want to insult him and say he’s weighing decisions if he already knows he’s not or he is. That’s somewhat out of my control, in a way. Obviously, I could speak probably on behalf of 200-plus PGA Tour players in saying that we really hope that he’s continuing with us.”
Meanwhile, Woods said he would be surprised if Rahm switched to LIV Golf: “Things have changed and will continue to change. Our deadline’s coming up here soon, so there’s a lot of moving parts, a lot of different things are happening very quickly because we know, you know, I think today’s the first day in December, we don’t have a whole lot of time.”
With Rahm now a member of LIV, it appears McIlroy, Woods, Speith and the rest of the PGA Tour will have to figure out how to move on from this momentous shift.
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