Imago
Rory McIlroy (L) and Jon Rahm (R)
Imago
Rory McIlroy (L) and Jon Rahm (R)
Jon Rahm picked his time carefully. Even as the tension with Rory McIlroy is still there, the Spaniard chose not to fan the flames further. Instead, he changed the subject. While the Spaniard recognized Scottie Scheffler’s high level of play, when it came to golf’s broader identity, he leaned toward McIlroy, putting personality and presence above pure dominance as the sport looks for its next defining figure.
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“Scottie is playing at that level, but in terms of personality and the way he transmits, I think Rory fits that definition more,” the LIV golfer said when asked about Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson’s “heirs” in reaching icon status in golf.
Thought this was interesting from Jon Rahm, in Spanish, on the topic of “heirs” to Tiger and Phil as far as reaching icon status in golf:
“Scottie is playing at that level, but in terms of personality and the way he transmits, I think Rory fits that definition more.”
— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti) April 7, 2026
The ongoing disagreement between Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy intensified when the Spaniard turned down the DP World Tour’s offer to settle. Rahm, the captain of Legion XIII, refused to pay the fines for playing in LIV Golf events and rejected the Tour’s terms.
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The DP World Tour offered LIV players a way to keep their membership and stay eligible for events like the Ryder Cup as part of a compromise. The terms said that players had to pay any fines they still owed, drop appeals, and agree to play at least six DP World Tour events, two of which would be chosen by the Tour. Several LIV golfers agreed to these terms, but Rahm stood by his decision and said the proposal was unfair because it meant players were being “extorted.”
Rory McIlroy, when asked about it, responded that the DP World Tour’s terms are generous and that there is a reason 8 golfers accepted the deal. He even pointed out that at the 2025 Ryder Cup, the European team said that the event is not about the money for them. Thus, by paying the fines to be eligible, Jon Rahm has an opportunity to prove that point.
However, the LIV Golf Hong Kong 2026 winner still respects Rory McIlroy and praises his game. Therefore, when asked about “heirs” to Woods’ and Mickelson’s legacy, he chose the 29-time PGA Tour winner over Scottie Scheffler.
As he noted, Scheffler is playing at the Big Cat’s and Lefty’s level. After turning professional in 2018, the Texas-native has won 20 events on the PGA Tour, including four majors. In fact, his rise has even garnered him a comparison with Tiger Woods. However, he has a very quiet personality, of course. Scheffler is not as interactive with the media or even other professionals.
Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, has maintained a dominance in modern golf for a very long time. His consistency and regular wins on both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour make him the right “heir” to the iconic golf status, according to Jon Rahm. Like the two veterans, he is a media-savvy face who interacts with reporters and fans regularly.
Moreover, McIlroy’s win at the 2025 Masters made him only the sixth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam. He joined Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and a few other all-time greats. This achievement already puts him in the top-tier category. McIlroy is also trying to win the Masters back-to-back, as Woods did. Scottie Scheffler, on the other hand, has not yet finished the Grand Slam, despite all his brilliance.
That said, Rahm himself is in elite form, entering the Masters as one of the favorites to win. Per DataGolf, Rahm is gaining an average of 2.69 strokes per event, which is just ahead of Scottie Scheffler at +2.67. Sure, he lost to DeChambeau in a LIV Golf South Africa playoff, but that might not be a bad thing.
It’s not common to win the week before the Masters. Not many players have done it on the PGA Tour, and many recent winners, like Rahm in 2023, built up momentum without winning their last start. Rahm won a lot of tournaments earlier that season before getting the green jacket, which is the same path that players like Scheffler and Rory McIlroy took.
However, amidst all this, his mind cannot help but go back to what began his disagreement with McIlroy, as he eyes the 2027 Ryder Cup.
Jon Rahm is optimistic about his 2027 Ryder Cup eligibility
Speaking ahead of the 2026 Masters, Rahm said he is optimistic that he and the DP World Tour will find a way to get him to play at Adare Manor in Ireland.
While he didn’t accept the terms, he has withdrawn his appeal against sanctions. The LIV Golf pro didn’t want to go the legal route, as he knew it wouldn’t be good for anyone involved. He revealed that he is in constant communication with the DP World Tour. They are trying to find a middle ground by negotiating an agreement that would allow him to compete in the biennial event in 2027.
All this fiasco is because only DP World Tour members are allowed to compete for Team Europe in the Ryder Cup. If Jon Rahm loses his membership amid the chaos, he risks his future as a member of the European team.
He has played important roles in helping Team Europe win back-to-back Ryder Cups in 2023 and 2025. In fact, the captain of the European team was also the same in both these events. And Luke Donald will captain again for the 2027 edition. He kept the entire team the same in 2023 and 2025, except for one change. If anything, he would love to compete with the same team and win once more. However, with Jon Rahm’s eligibility in jeopardy, things can take an ugly turn.
As his Ryder Cup future hangs in the balance, Jon Rahm finds himself navigating uncertainty off the course. But when in the spotlight, he holds his composure, just like he has shown by handling his feud with Rory McIlroy. He chose respect over rhetoric even as tensions continue to linger.
Written by
Edited by
Shreya Singh