Jon Rahm ‘Would Like To See’ Future Ryder Cup Roles For European LIV Golfers
The Spaniard also said he would "absolutely lean on" Sergio Garcia if he was ever made a Ryder Cup vice captain
Jon Rahm has admitted he'd like European LIV Golf players to have the chance of future roles in the Ryder Cup.
The European set-up for the forthcoming match at Marco Simone doesn't have any involvement from LIV Golf players, but that's something Rahm hopes will change down the line.
Rahm is preparing to play in this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth as preparations for the 2023 Ryder Cup continue, but before that, he was asked about his thoughts on the future of European LIV Golf players in the match, and in particular a potential vice captain role for compatriot Sergio Garcia.
He replied: "I think it would be really stupid of anybody not to lean on Sergio García's experience in The Ryder Cup. I mean, he is the best player Europe has ever had, won the most points and has shown it time and time again. If he were able to be a vice captain, I absolutely would lean on him. Same as we are going to lean on Ollie this coming Ryder Cup, right?"
It’s far from the first time Rahm has spoken in favour of Garcia, and in May declared it was sad “politics have gotten in the way” of the Ryder Cup, as it became apparent Garcia would not be in the 2023 match.
However, Rahm acknowledged that the changes coming at the top of the game could influence events in the future. He continued: “When it comes to the game and all those players being able to be back, it's been a difficult time. Obviously things have changed a little bit. I wouldn't know how to answer because we are going to have to see if it's possible or not, right?”
Along with Garcia, fellow LIV Golf players Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter appeared to end their Ryder Cup careers after resigning from the DP World Tour in May, and Rahm admitted that could still be a potential sticking point in the future.
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He said: “I would like to see it but unfortunately we've seen some of those players give up their European Tour status where that's no longer a possibility. So I would like to see it but we don't know what the future holds, right. I think with this agreement or this possible union between the PGA Tour, DP World and PIF might change things a little bit. So until then, it's hard to really give you an answer.”
While the potential future involvement of LIV Golf players is unclear, Rahm is convinced the current Team Europe set-up has the togetherness to deliver victory in Italy.
He explained: “You have players that have more experience, but there's no exactly, there's no hierarchy. On that team, we're all the same. It's all for one and one for all. That's kind of how it is. We are all there to accomplish the same goal. We are all part of the same team, and yeah, there's no - what you've done before and what you might do after that week, doesn't matter at all.”
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
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