Shane Lowry is fully expecting Jon Rahm to be part of the 2025 European Ryder Cup team, despite the reigning Masters champion opting to join LIV.
Talking to the press at Amgen – the tournament sponsors for the 2024 Irish Open at Royal County Down – headquarters, the 2019 Open champion admitted that he wasn’t surprised that Rahm had chosen to make the move, but said that the constant narrative that its for the ‘growth of the game’ has little basis beyond fulfilling obligations that come with the vast sums of money.
“I think what Jon said about growing the game and stuff that’s obviously what they have to say,” Lowry said.
“They’ve signed on the dotted line. They’ve been told by the communications team that this is what you say when you’re asked this and you have no other choice really because they own you now.”
He further suggested that there is a growing disconnect between the average golfer and target audience and the elite professionals at the sharp end of the world rankings and feels that it may be proving counteractive to the game overall.
“I don’t know if it’s been damaging (to golf’s image),” he said, “but people who have spent their hard-earned money going out to join a golf club and buy golf clubs and play golf for the weekend, it’s tough for them to listen to the guy who’s already worth whatever say he has to do this to put food on the table for his wife and kids.”
In the immediate aftermath of Rahm’s LIV move being confirmed, Rory McIlroy came out in support of Rahm’s Ryder Cup credentials, suggesting that the goalposts would have to be moved to ensure that the current world number three is eligible to represent Europe when they attempt to defend the Cup in New York in 2025.
Whilst Lowry didn’t speculate as to whether the rules would be changed or if a change was even warranted, he expects Rahm to qualify on points regardless.
“The reason they (Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia or Lee Westwood) couldn’t play Ryder Cup this year was because they resigned their membership,” Lowry said. “There were certain players that would have been able to make the team if they played good enough, but they just didn’t. I am sure Rahmbo can play well enough to make the team, so if he doesn’t resign his membership, he can still make the team.”
Golf is in “a funny place,” he added, but in contrast to Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland who was recently scathing in his criticism of PGA Tour leadership, calling them arrogant and guilty of mismanagement, Lowry acknowledged that he’s been fortunate to have the opportunity to play for big money and to earn a very healthy living as a PGA Tour member.
“I make a great living doing what we do, playing the game I love for a living and I’m not going to sit here and criticise the guys in charge of the game because I’m very fortunate to have the life I have,” he said.
“Do I think they’ve been amazing? No, probably not. But I’m not going to criticise them because I think they couldn’t foresee this coming. It was something that just happened. I don’t really know.
“A lot of players have a lot of opinions on the leadership of the tour. But I don’t consider myself clever enough to be able to comment on running a billion-dollar organisation.
“So, like I said earlier, I just worry about my own game, try and win the best tournaments I can and compete in the best ones I can, and that’s really it.”
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