The possibility of the LIV becoming part of the world ranking system seems closer than ever, given that last month the Saudi Super League reapplied to join the system. The system now has new leadership in South African Trevor Immelman and a more favorable context for evaluating the case amid the lull that has dominated the relationship between the circuits for some time now.
Jon Rahm spoke on the matter this Wednesday before taking part in this year's 12th leg of the circuit (6:15 p.m., Movistar Golf) at the Bolingbrook Golf Club in Chicago (USA). Whether more or less veiled or more explicit, the Basque native has gradually hinted that he would welcome certain modifications to the LIV format, particularly in terms of world ranking points, which would facilitate access to the top players for its players, currently limited to qualifying, invitationals, and the few exemptions its members still retain. But also, even though he hasn't said it publicly, the truth is that the tournament structure is more suited to his style of play on the PGA and European tours.
Rahm, statements
“There's an open process to enter the rankings, and once we're in, we can see what changes can be made to get the maximum number of points possible without losing our core. Let's say we currently have 20 points. If you add a fourth round, you'll go down to 25. It may or may not be worth it. It could also be a cut or something, but with the number of players we currently have and the team situation, I don't see it happening. Another thing would be to expand the league, say to 15 teams and 60 players. You can make it work. There are many possibilities I'm thinking about, but all of this is completely hypothetical because I haven't talked about it with anyone on the tour. But there are things we could do to get more ranking points if necessary, and surely the world ranking guys and Scott (O'Neil, CEO of LIV) have even more in mind that I can't think of,” Rahm commented on the matter.
Because the truth is that, if he were to make the cut, the number of points that the LIV tournaments could award would initially be rather small, given that the system assigns one point or another based on parameters such as the number of golfers playing, the number of rounds in the tournament, and the ranking of its participants, which in this tour's case has been severely affected by years of being unable to score points beyond their occasional appearances in tournaments on the Asian Tour, the European Tour, or the majors.
On the other hand, Rahm again addressed his situation regarding his eligibility for the European team that will face the US in the Ryder Cup next September. "There's nothing I can confirm or deny. Luke (Donald, European captain) communicates with me just as he does with others. I don't think he's assured anyone anything yet. It's too soon for that. He'll be waiting until the end of August, and in my case, I think I'm just another name on his list."
On a strictly sporting level, Rahm faces the need for a strong showing this week, combined with a poor performance from Joaquín Niemann, as he attempts to catch the Chilean at the top of the LIV annual standings. With the last three tournaments remaining, just over 37 points separate them, a surprising figure given that Joaco has been the clear dominator this season, in which he already has five wins to the Spaniard's none, who, in contrast, has been a prodigy of consistency when it comes to scoring top-10 finishes. He has achieved this at every stop except one, in Dallas, including two second places. In the team standings, his Legion XIII does rule the roost, having won four titles and well on track to reach the team final in Michigan in first place.
