Jon Rahm has called for a LIV event to be held in Ireland, as he pushes for the tour to host a links event in the weeks before the Open Championship next summer to prepare for the final Major of the year.
Rahm finished tied-seventh at Royal Troon and was the best finisher from LIV. The tour visited Valderrama in Spain before the Open, a tight parkland course offering a very different test to Troon.
“I love Ireland,” Rahm told Golf Digest. “I’ve always felt really welcome in Ireland. It feels like home and some of the most fun rounds of golf I’ve ever played are there and there are some great venues.
“So yeah, if there was an opportunity for LIV Golf to play in Ireland it would be absolutely fantastic.
Dave Hannigan: Behold a version of golf that’s fun and weirdly cool - but still ludicrously expensive
Golf lowdowns: Leona Maguire looks to turn fortunes around at LPGA Tour Championship
Tyrrell Hatton set for Ryder Cup warm-up as LIV rebels come in from the cold
Well-earned rest ahead for Shane Lowry after most consistent year of his career
“There’s so much that goes into adjusting to links golf; getting used to the greens and the ball reacting on the ground. I didn’t think about it until after [Troon], but it’s undeniable how much it helps to play a links golf course the week before the Open.”
Rahm is a two-time winner of the Irish Open, in 2017 and 2019, at Portstewart and Lahinch respectively, back when the tournament was played before the Major. In recent years, the tournament has moved to a September date and it will be held at Royal County Down later this year.
The most likely candidate to host of a LIV event in Ireland would be Doonbeg given the course was designed by LIV CEO Greg Norman and is owned by Donald Trump, whose courses at Doral and Bedminster have been used on the tour.
Last year, Trump’s son Eric said the Trump Organisation had spoken ‘indirectly’ to LIV about the possibility of holding a tournament at the Co Clare course.
“They know it is an option and we would love to have them over here. I think this course is incredibly well suited for them if they ever chose to come over.”
In other Irish links news, multiple Major winners Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas visited Baltray’s Co Louth links on Wednesday on the latest leg of their post-Open Irish trip.
The Americans, along with former PGA Tour golfer Smylie Kaufman, have played the European Club in Wicklow, The Island, Portmarnock Golf Club and Baltray in the past few days. Thomas was pictured on social media wearing a Cork jersey in popular Dublin haunt 37 Dawson Street after the All-Ireland hurling final.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
