Jon Rahm believes the Ryder Cup cannot be diluted by the exclusion of LIV rebels and is adamant that the best players from America and Europe should feature in Rome.
The build-up to next year’s biennial battle in the Italian capital is dominated by the fractious nature of men’s professional golf as the civil war surrounding the Saudi-Arabian backed LIV Golf series rumbles on. Europe’s star player Rory McIlory has remained consistent in his forthright claims that players who have defected to LIV should not be involved in any capacity in Rome.
But Rahm, set to be another leading member of the European team, disagrees with McIlroy and suggested the event should not be billed as a clash of rival tours.
“The Ryder Cup is not the PGA Tour and European Tour against LIV - it's Europe versus the US, period.” Rahm said. “The best of each against the other, and for me the Ryder Cup is above all. I wish they could play but it doesn't look good.”
Rahm turned down a lucrative offer from the Saudi circuit to remain loyal to the PGA and DP World Tours when the breakaway began. But LIV’s American players will almost certainly be ineligible to play for the USA team, who are looking to win the Ryder Cup on away soil for the first time in 30 years.
The PGA Tour has placed indefinite bans on all LIV rebels, meaning Ryder Cup shoo-ins like Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka won’t be able to tee-up in the clash next September. Meanwhile, a UK hearing in February will determine whether DP World Tour can issue similar sanctions, which would rule out the likes of Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood from qualifying for Team Europe.
Rahm has previously insisted that the millions on offer in Greg Norman’s invitational series would not change his lifestyle and that he plays golf to create his own legacy in the game. And the current world number six is on course to create his latest piece of history by matching legendary countryman Seve Ballesteros’ record of three national open crowns.
Rahm leads the 2022 Open de Espana by one shot heading into the final round after a six under 65 on Saturday. The Spaniard won the title in 2018 and 2019 and now holds a narrow advantage over Australian Min Woo Lee at 16 under par.
He did not card a single bogey in a flawless round and could become the latest European Ryder Cup hopeful to secure a victory after recent wins for Robert MacIntyre and Guido Migliozzi.
