Golf superstar Rory McIlroy has called on Ryder Cup lawmakers to rewrite the rule book after Jon Rahm's LIV defection.
Fans were stunned this week after Masters titleholder Rahm, 29, confirmed he'll be the latest addition to the Saudi-owned LIV Golf League in a move reportedly worth £450million. It makes the Spaniard the biggest acquisition by LIV to date, dwarfing the nine-figure fees that reportedly recruited the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.
Team Europe captain Luke Donald couldn't select LIV-affiliated players for this year's Ryder Cup win over Team USA after those who jumped ship forfeited their membership on the DP World Tour. However, McIlroy was adamant that will have to change before the next tournament takes place in less than two years' time.
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"Jon is going to be in Bethpage [New York] in 2025," said the Northern Irishman during a Sky Sports News interview shortly after Rahm's move was confirmed. "Because of this decision, the European Tour is going to have to rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup eligibility.
"There's absolutely no question about that. I certainly want Jon Rahm on the next Ryder Cup team."
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McIlroy, 34, was the only European player who boasted more points than Rahm on either the European and World lists coming into the 2023 Ryder Cup. And both senior members proved critical to Donald's plans as Europe triumphed in Italy, clinching the cup for the 10th time in the past 14 editions of the tournament.
"He has got so much talent, he's so tenacious and he's a great team-mate in the Ryder Cup," McIlroy added in his praise of Rahm. "The thing that I've realised is that you can't judge someone for making a decision that they feel is the best thing for them.
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"Is it disappointing to me? Yes, but the landscape of golf changed on June 6, when the framework agreement was announced, and I think because of that it made the jump from the PGA Tour to LIV a little bit easier for guys."
McIlroy referred to the deal brokered between the PGA, DP World Tour and LIV Golf, which planned to unite to form a new organisation. Many players decried the decision as hypocrisy after being urged by the PGA and European Tours to reject LIV, only to merge with the Saudi-owned body themselves.
It's since been reported that agreement isn't workable, meaning the war between LIV Golf and its more established rivals lives on. And Rahm has decided to cash in his chips, which could lead to a domino effect as another of the world's elite jumps ship.
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