Rory McIlroy, one of LIV Golf’s loudest critics, said the Ryder Cup eligibility rules will “absolutely” need to be re-written so that Jon Rahm can play in 2025 after his shocking move to LIV Golf.
Rahm confirmed the news on Thursday that he was defecting from the PGA for LIV in a deal that could reportedly make him as much as $600 million.
The seismic shift in the golf world comes with some massive questions around his eligibility to compete in the next Ryder Cup. Rahm is eligible to compete in majors for the next five years.
However, during an interview with Sky Sports on Thursday, McIlroy insisted that Rahm would compete for the European team in 2025.
“Jon is going to be in Bethpage in 2025,” McIlroy said, referring to Bethpage State Park Golf Course out on Long Island where the Ryder Cup will be played. “Because of this decision, the European Tour is going to have rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup eligibility. Absolutely. There’s no question about that. I certainly want Jon on the next Ryder Cup team.”
The issue arose during this year’s Ryder Cup tournament held at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome.
Team Europe didn’t feature any LIV Golf members on its squad, and those who made the jump to the rebel golf league resigned their DP World Tour memberships.
McIlroy took an even-keeled approach when discussing the departure of the world’s No. 3 golfer from the PGA Tour.
He told Sky Sports that he couldn’t “judge someone for making a decision that they feel is the best thing for them.”
“I’m going to miss competing against him week in and week out,” McIlroy said of Rahm. “He’s such a good player. He’s got so much talent. He’s so tenacious. He’s a great teammate in the Ryder Cup. I have nothing but good things to say about Jon. I respect the hell out of him as a golfer. It seems like he wants to live his life the right way. He wants to be a good dad; he wants to be a good husband.
“The thing I realized is you can’t judge someone for making a decision that they feel is the best thing for them. Is it disappointing for me? Yes. But the landscape of golf changed on June 6, whenever the framework agreement was announced. I think, because of that, it made the jump from PGA Tour to LIV a little bit easier for guys. They let the first guys take the heat. This framework agreement legitimatized basically what LIV was trying to do.”
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf entered into a framework agreement in June that shocked the sports world and caused chaos in the golf world since.
The two sides have until a Dec. 31 deadline to complete negotiations, and the PGA Tour has been having conversations with other U.S.-based companies about additional investments.