Rory McIlroy has claimed that Jon Rahm's highly controversial move to LIV Golf was a smart business manoeuvre by the Spaniard because of the timing of the move.
Several weeks ago, it was announced that the current Masters champion, Rahm, would become the latest high-profile name to make the switch to LIV, following the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Phil Mickelson. Rahm is also reportedly earning a record-breaking £450 million to sign on with LIV.
The 29-year-old Spaniard said, "I made this decision because I believe it's the best for me and my family, and everybody I've been able to talk to has been really supportive of me, so I'm very comfortable with my decision. I'm no stranger to hearing some negative things on social media or in the media. It's part of what it is; we're public figures, but you just learn to deal with it, right? This certainly won't define who I am or change who I am."
McIlroy, who is one of the biggest critics of the new breakaway Saudi-funded league, believes that Rahm's move to the newer golf format is smart because it attracted less heat than the likes of Cameron Smith and Phil Mickelson did when they made their moves earlier in the year.
"I thought it was a smart business move from Jon; it's opportunistic," he said on the Stick to Football podcast. "He hasn't got any of the heat for going like the first guys got for going."
This week on Stick to Football we are joined by golf superstar @McIlroyRory🏌🏻
⛳️ His stance on LIV Golf
👹 Being a United fan
🏆 The Masters
🐯 Friendship with Tiger Woods
The episode is available now on YouTube and all major podcast platforms! 📺— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) January 3, 2024
McIlroy also believes that there is a possibility that the 2023 Masters champion could return to the traditional format of the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour in time.
"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."
McIlroy also went on to mention in the interview with the likes of Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, and Ian Wright that he was too quick to judge the players who did go to join LIV in the early stages of the new golf tournament.
The Holywood native now acknowledges that not every golfer in the world is in the privileged position that he and Tiger Woods find themselves in.
"I think at this point, I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start. I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realise that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods' position. I can't judge people for making that decision, so if I regret anything, it was probably being too judgmental at the start. I wouldn't say I've lost the fight against LIV, but I've just accepted the fact that this is part of our sport now. At the end of the day, we're professional golfers, and we play to make a living and make money, so I understand it."
