While LIV Golf has been a disruptor in the world of professional golf for almost two years now, Jon Rahm's move to the breakaway tour has been viewed by many as a watershed moment.
Not only is the Spaniard arguably the best player in the sport at the moment, but it had also been assumed that the potential partnership between the PGA Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) would see an end to golfer jumping ship to the new organisation.
While some such as Rory McIlroy believe that rules now need to be altered to accommodate for Jon Rahm in events such as the Ryder Cup, others have had a different reaction.
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Jon Rahm LIV Golf move hammered home important point to Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry has grown pretty close to Jon Rahm in recent years, especially on the back of their time together on the European Ryder Cup team.
Speaking at the launch event of Amgen as the new sponsors of the Irish Open, he said that there had been murmurings that the Spaniard was about to jump ship. He also said how this switch hammered home his own need to look after himself moving forward.
I'm not 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...
Because it's been going on for so long now, at the start it was dispiriting, but now, I've talked about this a lot with my team, you just have to worry about yourself.
You just have to become that selfish golfer who picks their schedule and wants to play and win the best tournaments in the world. The best tournaments in my mind are Riviera, Bay Hill, the Players, and then leading up to the Masters.
They are the tournaments I want to win.
Pictured is Amgen golf ambassador Shane Lowry at a launch event for the 2024 Amgen Irish Open. Amgen announced it will serve as the title sponsor of the Irish Open starting in 2024.
One of the events that Shane Lowry is fully invested in is the Irish Open. The tournament will have a new partner in 2024, with Amgen becoming title sponsors for the event in Royal County Down. They will stay in that position until at least 2027, the championship's centenary year.
That will be a big year for Irish golf, with the Ryder Cup also coming to Adare Manor. Shane Lowry feels that it is set to be special few years ahead for the sport in this country. As well as that, he also questioned the calls made by some for an independent body to set up the course for the team event in order to level the playing field.
We’re very lucky in Ireland, aren’t we? We’ve got an amazing Irish Open, we’ve got The Open here next year, and we have the Ryder Cup in 2027. I think we are very lucky as golf fans and players in Ireland at the minute.
Adare Manor is one of the most beautiful places in the world, everything about it would be a great venue. I think the course probably does need a little bit of a setup change to help us Europeans, to set it up for ourselves. Whoever the captain is going to be then, I’m sure we will have some conversations about what they’re going to do, whether it be growing the rough and thickening it up, or whatever they’re going to do...
I think the course setup has a big think to do with it, but also 50,000 people shouting at you helps as well. I think home advantage is just home advantage.
We’ve got 12 players and they’ve got 12 players, I think if you put us on any golf course with home advantage, the home team is going to be the favourites. Course setup obviously plays a bit of a part of it, but not as big as people might think. That’s in my opinion obviously.
It is now widely suggested that winning a Ryder Cup away from home is one of the most difficult tasks in golf, with the home side being allowed to set up the course to suit their players. In saying that, Shane Lowry clearly feels that the home crowd is a much bigger factor.
It will certainly be fantastic to see the fans from both Europe and America take to Adare in 2027. It will cap off what is set to be an incredible few years ahead for Irish golf.
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Pictured is Amgen golf ambassador Shane Lowry at a launch event for the 2024 Amgen Irish Open. Amgen announced it will serve as the title sponsor of the Irish Open starting in 2024, following the acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics plc in October 2023.
Amgen will also become a partner to the KPMG Women’s Irish Open. The 2024 Amgen Irish Open, part of the DP World Tour, will take place at the Royal County Down Golf Club in Northern Ireland from Sept. 11-15, 2024.
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