Jon Rahm sent a message to Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay as he confirmed his deal with LIV Golf in a huge blow to the PGA Tour.
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.
On FOX News, Rahm stated, “Patrick Cantlay, Rory, and Tiger Woods are the names that come to mind.” “I want to thank them for dedicating a significant amount of time to learning about potential future developments for the game through phone calls and meetings.
“I sincerely hope that they are resolute in their goals. This decision was made for the benefit of my family and myself as well as the future; it had nothing to do with them personally. I sincerely hope that everyone I’ve made friends with will remain my friends because I won’t be changing and won’t really be changing.”
It’s unclear if Rahm will forfeit his opportunity to compete for Team Europe in the Ryder Cup after moving to LIV. Due to fines for joining LIV, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, and Lee Westwood resigned from the DP World Tour and chose not to join Team Europe.
After learning of the development, McIlroy expressed his disappointment at not being able to play as often against his Ryder Cup partner.
“Considering what an incredible player Jon is and the experiences I’ve had with him, it’s difficult to sit here and criticize him, but all I can say is that I’ll be sad not to play against him more frequently in the future,” McIlroy said to Sky Sports. “I will miss playing against him every single week. He has so much talent and is such a good player. At the Ryder Cup, he is an excellent teammate and extremely persistent. I can’t say enough positive things about Jon. As a golfer, I have the utmost respect for him.
“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.”
In addition, the 34-year-old insisted that players who transferred to League IV be allowed to compete in the Ryder Cup, expressing his desire for Rahm to stay a teammate.
“Jon is going to be in Bethpage in 2025, as someone who has played on three Ryder Cup teams with him,” McIlroy remarked. “There is no doubt that the European Tour will need to revise the eligibility requirements for the Ryder Cup as a result of this decision. Jon Rahm should be on the upcoming Ryder Cup team, in my opinion.
Rahm signed a five-year contract with LIV for an estimated sum of £450–600 million. However, current rules require European Ryder Cup competitors to be DP World Tour members, and any player who participates in an LIV event will be fined.
Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods both offered their opinions on the matter after it became more likely that Rahm would quit the PGA Tour and join LIV.
We want to play against the best players in the world, and Jon is one of them, so it really wouldn’t be good for us in general. I am aware that he has spoken with a few guys. I’m aware that he may be considering some choices, or not,” Speith remarked. I really don’t know, so I don’t want to offend him by assuming that he is making a decision when, in reality, he isn’t. That is, in a sense, beyond my control. Of course, I could probably speak for more than 200 players on the PGA Tour when I say that we sincerely hope he stays with us.”
Woods, meanwhile, expressed surprise that Rahm would move to LIV Golf, saying, “Things have changed and will continue to change.” We have a deadline approaching, so a lot of moving pieces and various things are happening very quickly because we know we don’t have much time left—I believe today is the first day of December.”
Rahm’s admission to LIV suggests that McIlroy, Woods, Speith, and the other players on the PGA Tour will need to find a way to move past this significant change.
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