McIlroy hails Rahm's LIV move: "Who am I to say any different at this point?"

Rory McIlroy has hailed Jon Rahm's switch to LIV Golf as a 'smart business move' as the Northern Irishman admitted he has been 'too judgemental' of the players who have bolted to the Saudi-backed breakaway. 

In an in-depth interview with Sky Sports The Overlap, the four-times major champion opened up on a number of topics. 

Those included being snubbed for an autograph by former Manchester United captain Roy Keane as a 12-year-old, the PGA Tour-LIV Golf divide, his Masters misery and his thoughts on the rival league's biggest signing to date. 

Rahm officially joined LIV in early December 2023 after weeks of speculation following his withdrawal from McIlroy and Tiger Woods' indoor golf league, TGL. 

Even after Rahm withdrew from the tech-focussed golf league, McIlroy claimed he was 'pretty confident' the reigning Masters champion would remain on the PGA Tour. 

The Spaniard is said to have signed an agreement with LIV that will see him benefit to the tune of $500m. 

That number is of course unsubstantiated but McIlroy feels as though the 6 June framework agreement 'legitimised what LIV was trying to do'. 

He explained of Rahm: "Jon Rahm hasn't got any of the heat for going like the first guys got for going. 

"Jon is a smart guy and I think he sees things coming together at some point so he's thinking that he'll take the upfront money, which is his prerogative, and if things come together, he'll play LIV for a year then come back to play on the Tour and play some team golf."

McIlroy has previously chastised several of his former European Ryder Cup teammates for accepting such ludicrous amounts of money up front and jeopardise their chances of qualifying for major championships and competing in the biennial dust-up. 

Now his tune has changed, and he knows it. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by . (@golfmagic)

He continued: "I thought it was a smart business move from Jon. It's opportunistic. I think he sees that things will come back together and he's in a lucky position. 

"There's not one person that wouldn't want him on our Ryder Cup team because of how good he is, so he was in a great position where there wasn't a ton of risk involved for him to go, but I've got no problem with him going if that's what he wants to do and he thinks that's the right decision for him and his family, then who am I to say any different at this point."

McIlroy said he now realises it's not his job to fight LIV and he hopes the breakaway will become the IPL of golf and will occupy two months of the calendar year with team golf. 

"At the end of the day, my job is to go out there and shoot the lowest score possible," he added. 

Read more:

• The real reason Rory McIlroy is not competing in The Sentry on PGA Tour
• Rory McIlroy 2024 schedule: PGA Tour, DP World Tour and majors
• We predicted golf's 2024 major winners so you could yell at us
• How does Patrick Cantlay feel about Rory's 'd---' comment? Let him tell you...