For the first time this year, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm will compete against one another outside of a major championship.
That’s because Rahm, along with a number of his LIV Golf competitors, are playing in the Scottish Open, a co-sanctioned event between the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour.
Since Rahm left for LIV Golf, the very best players in the world rarely go head-to-head. LIV players are suspended from the PGA Tour for a year after their most recent LIV event, so we only really see these types of clashes at majors or occasionally on the DP World Tour.
Rahm is allowed to compete in the Scottish Open because of his DP World Tour membership, but this is also a PGA Tour event, so should he be allowed to play? One of LIV Golf’s biggest critics, McIlroy, weighed in on this before the tournament.
Rory McIlroy says Jon Rahm makes the Scottish Open better
McIlroy, once an ardent critic of LIV Golf, has softened his stance in recent years, insisting that all he wants now is for golf to be united, and for the best players in the world to play against each other more often.
That’s what we have, and the Masters champion says the Scottish Open is all the better for it. Speaking before the event, he spoke about Rahm’s involvement: “I’ve talked about wanting to have just all of the best players in the world play together.
How do you think Jon Rahm will get on at the Scottish Open?
“Yeah, I guess this is a good — and it’s not as if this hasn’t been open to them before. It’s just because Valderrama was always this week.
“Yeah, having Jon in this event is better for the event than him not being here, and obviously, everyone else that’s here, as well. That’s a good thing.”
This feels like the good old days and a significant step in the right direction toward getting all the best players back playing against one another. It’s going to be a thrilling week of action if Rahm and McIlroy bring their best golf.
Rory McIlroy’s comments about Jon Rahm feel empty
But while McIlroy is happy to see Rahm in the field, his comments about seeing the best players in the world compete more often do feel a little hollow.
In total, McIlroy has played in only six PGA Tour events outside of the majors this year. He has also missed several signature events, most recently the Travelers Championship.
Very rarely have we seen Scottie Scheffler go head-to-head with McIlroy this year because of the sheer number of events that McIlroy has skipped.
He’s doing so to better prepare for the major championships, and he’s earned that right, but there is a level of hypocrisy to McIlroy saying on one hand all the best players should play each other more often, but on the other hand saying the main reason that hasn’t happened on the PGA Tour this year.
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