‘I’d do anything required of me to be a captain’ - GMac
Jon Rahm thinks it “makes sense” for Graeme McDowell to captain Europe’s bid for three Ryder Cup wins in a row at Adare Manor, but the Portrush man admits he’s “cautious” as question marks remain over LIV Golf and its relationship with the DP World Tour.
While the DP World Tour said earlier this month that they “continue to have dialogue with individual members involved to explore and discuss options” over the fines owed by the likes of Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, McDowell has not given up all hope of becoming a shock skipper next year.
Rahm said in a podcast in January that while he didn’t see it as likely that LIV members “are going to be captains that quickly”, McDowell “would make sense” with the 2027 matches set for Co Limerick.
McDowell is currently ineligible to become captain as he resigned his membership at the end of 2023.
However, he told Today’s Golfer that he got “a reasonably positive response” when he sounded out a couple of likely European players should Luke Donald turn down the job.
“I would not want to be in a situation where this whole thing took away from what the Ryder Cup should be, and the pureness of what the Ryder Cup is,” he said, admitting his non-membership of the DP World Tour is a stumbling block.
“I would hate for narratives and for bad feelings from the fan base to overshadow anything that should happen at Adare Manor.”
He added: “I would do anything that was required of me to be a captain – like, anything. So we’ll see.
“There are some conversations to be had, and I’d like to be there in some shape or form, but it’s a little bit above my pay grade. It’s obviously a very high level of politics.
“I’ll speak to LIV about it and see how their conversations with [the DP World Tour] are going, because clearly Jon’s in an interesting situation with the fines. We’ve talked about the word ‘healing’, and I just hope we can continue to get there.”
Meanwhile, Lauren Walsh shot a five-under 67 to go into the final round of the PIF Saudi Ladies International seven shots behind Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi and Japan’s Rio Takeda.
She was tied for 23rd on eight under with Anna Foster two shots further back in 41st after a 69.
At the HotelPlanner Tour’s weather-reduced NTT DATA Pro-Am at Fancourt, Max Kennedy opened with a seven-under 65 on the Outeniqua Course to share third place, five shots behind leader Benjamin Follett-Smith.
The Englishman also played Outeniqua and fired a sensational 12-under 60 to lead by three strokes from South Africa’s JJ Senekal in what is now a 54-hole event.
Gary Hurley was fifth after a 66 while Conor Purcell was joint 25th after a 68 as Liam Nolan’s 69 at the Montagu left him tied for 41st.
