‘It’s Almost Emotional’ - Jon Rahm On ‘Special’ Rory McIlroy Comments Following LIV Golf Move

Jon Rahm says it was "amazing" to hear Rory McIlroy ask for Ryder Cup eligibility rules to be amended with immediate effect after the Spaniard completed his switch to the LIV Golf League.

The current Masters champion sealed a big-money move last week, casting doubts over his future as part of Team Europe. Luke Donald's side had been firm in their stance of not allowing players like Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia to qualify - not simply because they were a part of LIV, but because they had resigned their DP World Tour membership.

While McIlroy had previously agreed with the aforementioned rationale, the Northern Irishman recently called for Ryder Cup qualification rules to be rewritten to ensure Rahm is at Bethpage Black in 2025.

That may not even be necessary, however, with Rahm insisting he is keen to maintain all forms of membership and continue to play events that are important to him - such as the Spanish Open on the DP World Tour.

Speaking on LIV Golf's 'Fairways To Heaven' podcast with Su-Ann Heng and Jerry Foltz, Rahm revealed that - either way - McIlroy's public showing of support meant a great deal to him.

Rahm said: "It’s amazing to hear. I have the utmost respect for Rory McIlroy, and to have his support right away is very, very special. It’s almost emotional to hear about it.

"The Ryder Cup means a lot to me and is one of the things that made this decision very difficult for me. I’ve always been hopeful that if I made the step the DP World Tour would maybe adapt the eligibility so we can play it. 

"With that said, I absolutely intend to keep my DP World Tour status and PGA Tour status and be a member - if possible, if allowed - and play more events, so nothing regarding that is going to change in my mind.

"It’s one of the great things about LIV Golf, it gives me that flexibility to go play some other events. So, yeah, I’m hoping sooner than later we hear some news about the Ryder Cup and we get a clear path of how we can make things work. I would love nothing more than to defend the cup in Bethpage."

The wider golfing world's attitude towards LIV golfers has shifted slightly since Rahm's move - with the signing seen in some quarters as something of a watershed moment for the sport and its quest to bring about harmony once again.

As for the player himself, Rahm insisted he was on 'Team Golf' and played down his impact involving a potential unification of various tours.

Rahm said: "The landscape of golf has changed so much in the last two years, hasn’t it? There’s so much going on. I just hope, whether it’s me or not, I just hope in those discussions going on behind closed doors, I really hope the game of golf, which is ultimately the team I’m on, ends up in a better state.

"We all want to see the best players playing against the best players and have the best competition and the best product forward. If I’m a reason why that’s expedited, great, I certainly [didn't set out] to be that guy, but it’d be a true honor to represent that as well. Even though I’m not alone as there are many other people that have abdicated for this and have made choices to push this forward."