Let’s not pretend Rory McIlroy hasn’t had something to say about LIV Golf. He’s had plenty. But when Jon Rahm — one of McIlroy’s fiercest competitors and Ryder Cup teammates — joined LIV in late 2023, it hit differently. Not with anger. Not even with resignation. What we got from Rory instead? A blend of disappointment, dry humor, and a reluctant acceptance of where the sport’s headed.
And, in true Rory fashion, he didn’t hold back when Rahm called this mess a “golden era.”
“Very rose-tinted glasses if you ask me.”
— Rory McIlroy, January 2025, Dubai Desert Classic
The “Golden Era” That Isn’t
That quote came just after Jon Rahm claimed that golf was entering a golden era where “the possibilities are endless.” McIlroy didn’t bite his tongue.
His reply? Direct and slightly salty. Not angry — just brutally honest.
“With everything that’s happened in the game over the past two or three years, I think what I maybe could envision is that the domination of the American side of things might come back a little bit… trying to build on the opportunities globally.”
Translation? The future might be bright, but let’s not ignore the smoke still in the air. Rory was pointing to the fractured state of professional golf — the rival tours, the shifting loyalties, the uncertainty. And while he didn’t name LIV directly, the target was obvious.
“There’s amazing players that play in all different tours… but at the same time, it’s become too fractured and too disjointed.”
The guy’s not wrong.
From Disappointment to… Understanding?
McIlroy’s public reaction to Rahm’s defection evolved in stages.
Back in December 2023, just after Rahm signed with LIV, McIlroy didn’t blast him. He actually praised him — sort of.
“I’m going to miss competing against him week in and week out. He’s such a good player. He’s got so much talent. He’s so tenacious.”
That wasn’t PR talk. That was a genuine reaction to losing a competitor who elevated every event he was part of. McIlroy likes Rahm. They’ve gone to battle together in Ryder Cups. He knows how good Rahm is — and what the sport loses when a guy like that leaves the PGA Tour.
But by early 2024, McIlroy had pivoted.
“Jon Rahm hasn’t got any of the heat that the first guys got for going… he’s smart.”
The shift in tone wasn’t subtle. McIlroy acknowledged that the game had changed — the framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s PIF, the growing normalization of LIV, and the diminishing outrage. Rahm didn’t just take the money. He saw where things were heading and made a bet that everything would merge eventually.
Smart? Maybe. Risky? Definitely. But McIlroy wasn’t mad anymore.
Ryder Cup Loyalty Runs Deep
One thing Rory didn’t waver on? Rahm’s place on the 2025 Ryder Cup team.
“Jon is going to be in Bethpage in 2025.”
That wasn’t speculation. That was Rory drawing a line in the sand — Rahm belongs. And the European Tour? According to McIlroy, they’d “have to rewrite the rules” to make it happen.
That comment stirred some backlash — especially from fans who felt Rory had judged other LIV players more harshly. But McIlroy held firm. His support for Rahm wasn’t about changing sides. It was about acknowledging reality and protecting the competitive soul of European golf.
In other words, if the Ryder Cup is supposed to be the best of Europe versus the best of the U.S., then Jon Rahm has to be there. No matter what tour he plays on.
Same Game, Different Page
This whole saga between Rory and Rahm isn’t about personal drama. There’s no feud here. It’s about perspective.
Rahm thinks golf is on the brink of something special — a wide-open era full of new opportunities. McIlroy sees the potential too… but only if the fractures can be healed first.
“I would share his optimism if the game wasn’t as disjointed and as fractured as it was.”
There’s a cautious hope buried in that quote. McIlroy isn’t just being a curmudgeon. He wants the game to come together. He wants the fans to see the best players compete — not on rival tours, not in press conferences, but inside the ropes, under Sunday pressure, where it counts.
Until then, he’s not buying the “golden era” sales pitch.
A Complicated Friendship in a Complicated Era
Rory’s always been the guy willing to say what everyone else is thinking — and Rahm’s move to LIV put him in a tricky spot. He lost a rival, a teammate, and arguably a piece of what made the PGA Tour feel like home.
But he’s not pretending the world hasn’t changed. He’s not judging Rahm for doing what he thinks is best for his future. What McIlroy is doing — and doing well — is reminding everyone that the soul of the game can’t be bought. That what makes golf special isn’t just money or headlines or team names. It’s the battles, the history, the meaning behind the moments.
And that maybe — just maybe — the golden era can still come. But we’ve got work to do before we get there.
“Very rose-tinted glasses if you ask me.” — Rory McIlroy on Jon Rahm’s LIV optimism