Before Jon Rahm officially jumped to LIV Golf on Thursday evening, he first had to come to grips with what he expressed as his biggest hang-up: Potentially not playing the Ryder Cup.
DP World Tour regulations currently prohibit European members who compete on the Saudi-backed circuit from also keeping their Ryder Cup eligibility. Rahm, 29, has competed on three European squads (two winning teams) and earned seven-and-a-half points in that trio of appearances.
But with the superstar Spaniard joining LIV, Rahm now figures to join the likes of Team Europe stalwarts Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson as key players unable to compete for their continent in the biennial matches, which return in 2025 at Bethpage Black – unless, of course, the DP World Tour changes its rules.
That’s what Rahm’s Ryder Cup teammate, Rory McIlroy, says needs to happen.
McIlroy even went a step further.
“Jon is going to be in Bethpage in 2025 so, because of this decision, the European Tour are going to have to rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup eligibility,” McIlroy told Sky Sports on Thursday. “There’s absolutely no question about that. I certainly want Jon Rahm on the next Ryder Cup team. I’m going to miss competing against him week in, week out. He has got so much talent, he’s so tenacious and he’s a great teammate in the Ryder Cup.
“The thing that I’ve realized is that you can’t judge someone for making a decision that they feel is the best thing for them. Is it disappointing to me? Yes, but the landscape of golf changed on June 6, when the framework agreement was announced, and I think because of that it made the jump from the PGA Tour to LIV a little bit easier for guys.”
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