‘It’s mad!’ Shane Lowry reacts to Jon Rahm’s LIV move 

Shane Lowry can barely comprehend the fact he won’t be teeing it up against Jon Rahm until next year’s Masters. 

Rahm’s seismic move to LIV Golf has, at least for now, ended his career on the PGA Tour.

The Spaniard had previously declared his “fealty” towards the PGA Tour, but his £450 million switch to the Saudi-backed LIV series means he is now suspended indefinitely from the US circuit.

And that means he will now compete sparingly against some of his fellow European Ryder Cup heroes, including PGA Tour stars Lowry and Rory McIlroy.

• Viktor Hovland: PGA Tour to blame for LIV Golf exodus

• Lee Trevino: Why PGA Tour is in big trouble after latest blow

Lowry, however, admits he wasn’t surprised about Rahm’s move as rumours had been swirling over his imminent defection.

“There’s no smoke without fire so we all thought he must be going”, Lowry said during a media event for the 2024 Irish Open at the headquarters of new title sponsor Amgen.

“[I wasn’t] surprised, as I am not surprised by anything at the minute. It is what it is now, it’s just mad to think we won’t be playing against Jon Rahm until the Masters. He won’t be rocking up to Riviera, Bay Hill, The Players – all the big tournaments on the PGA Tour.

“It’s just mad to think that. It is what it is. I am just hopeful it all irons itself out soon, and we will be back playing together again soon. I don’t know when that will be, but hopefully soon.”

When asked about Rahm towing the “growing the game” line in his LIV announcement video, world No 39 Lowry said: “That’s obviously what they have to say.

“They’ve signed on the dotted line. They’ve been told by the communications team that this is what you say when you’re asked this and you have no other choice really because they own you now.”

He added: “I don’t know if it’s been damaging [to the sport] but people who have spent their hard-earned money going out to join a golf club and buy golf clubs and play golf for the weekend, it’s tough for them to listen to the guy who’s already worth whatever say he has to do this to put food on the table for his wife and kids.”

Lowry has stressed that “you just have to worry about yourself” these days and become a “selfish golfer”, rather than getting consumed by the uncertainty that reins in men’s professional golf right now.

• McEwan: Why has Jon Rahm joined LIV? It’s really not that difficult…

The PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) bankrolling LIV are still yet to finalise a definitive agreement to merge as a collective entity after the announcement of a bombshell peace deal in June.

And there have been whispers that other PGA Tour players could sign lucrative deals to join Rahm at LIV.

Viktor Hovland said that he ‘totally understands’ why Jon Rahm left and directed blame at the PGA Tour’s Ponte Vedra Beach HQ, but confirmed he had no interest in a LIV contract.

Lowry, for one, is happy with Hovland’s stance.

“Look at Viktor Hovland, he’d been rumoured heavily, and if Jon Rahm gets that, what does he get?” the Irishman speculated.

“So the fact that he’s committed to PGA Tour, I think is great. Because there was rumours about him. So I think he still realises that the best tournaments in the world are on the PGA Tour.”

As for the Ryder Cup, Lowry isn’t too concerned – citing the differences between Rahm’s situation and those of Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood.

“The reason they couldn’t play Ryder Cup this year was because they resigned their membership,” Lowry explained.

“There were certain players that would have been able to make the team if they played good enough, but they just didn’t. I am sure Rahmbo can play well enough to make the team, so if he doesn’t resign his membership, he can still make the team.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.