Jon Rahm issued stern warning by Ryder Cup teammate on the back of LIV Golf move
Jon Rahm's Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry has warned the Spaniard not to 's***' on other rival tours following his mega-money move to the Saudi-backed league for 2024.
Rahm became LIV's biggest coup yet, signing a record-breaking deal worth a reported £450million to leave the PGA Tour and join Greg Norman and co. There is no doubt Rahm has not faced the same criticism some of his other LIV defectors had faced during the first wave of moves almost two years ago.
Hostilities within professional golf have simmered slightly in recent months, after it was confirmed the PGA Tour had entered discussions with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) to form a peace deal.
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Rahm broke the news to his Ryder Cup teammates in a group chat, and whilst Lowry had no issue with the decision, he encouraged the Spaniard to go quietly. “Rumours were big at the time and we were all talking about it individually,” Lowry told the ForePlay Podcast.
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“And then Jon put a message into the group telling us. Some guys are like, whatever, and I was like, that’s your choice. Just don’t go there and s**t on the tours like some people did." The Irishman also Issued the same plea to another European Ryder Cup star in Tyrrell Hatton, who joined Rahm earlier this month.
"Go there, and go gracefully, and do what you have to do. And Tyrrell [Hatton] the same," he continued. “I think what Jon said about growing the game and stuff that’s obviously what they have to say. 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.”
Shane Lowry had a strong warning for Jon Rahm (2023 Getty Images)Like the rest of his LIV colleagues, Rahm saw his PGA Tour membership suspended in the days after his mega-money move. It is expected that as part of the framework agreement between the Tour and PIF that some pathway for Rahm and co will be offered for them to regain their playing rights in the future.
On the back of his move late last year, Rahm insisted he was keen to compete across all three of LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour at some point. "I do want to maintain my PGA Tour and DPWT status I will not give that up," the Legion XIII said at the time.
"Hopefully with the freedom LIV gives me I can play both those tours. There are certain PGA Tour events I want to play as long as my schedule allows. If possible, I want to make that happen.”
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