Jon Rahm calls for change to Olympic Golf qualification

Jon Rahm is a man of change.

He made the leap from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf in December and in the last two weeks alone, has called for different changes in the game.

First, it was ‘pushing’ the Saudi-backed league to introduce a links event before The Open.

Now, the 30-year-old has called upon the Olympic Games to ditch its qualification system for the golf competition.

Rahm, set to represent Spain alongside David Puig in Paris this week, used the American basketball team to make his point. We’ll let him explain.

“Allow the countries to pick themselves,” he said.

“There needs to be some guidelines, but Team USA Basketball has freedom to choose whoever they want.

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“I understand it’s a different circumstance, but I think you need to let each country choose who they want to play, and in the future, I would also like to see some team aspect in the Olympics, as well, right.

“I mean, we are here representing Spain, so I would love to be able to represent Spain, as a partner or somehow, whether as a combined sport or us playing together.

“That would be extremely nice to share the stage with another player, to do something different, to maybe what we do every other day, right.”

Rahm picked up his first win on LIV Golf on Sunday, albeit to the despair of his Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton. It was the Spaniard’s first victory since the 2023 Masters.

Hatton’s performance did, however, help Rahm, Caleb Surratt and Kieran Vincent to the LIV Golf UK team title and a fourth team win of the season.

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The Englishman won’t be at Le Golf National this week, with Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick set to represent Team GB.

And for golf at the Olympics to move forward, Rahm arrived back at his original idea.

“You want the best players to be able to participate. Any tournament, you want the best players possible to be representing their country. That’s all I can say. I really don’t know how else to frame it.

“Obviously the qualifying criteria might need to change but that is a job for the people that are a lot more knowledgeable on things like that.”

It’s after Rory McIlroy, representing Team Ireland, was having a hard time calling it a ‘prestigious’ event whilst some of the world’s best players aren’t teeing it up.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.