Rahm suspended by PGA Tour as Finau confirms he’s not going to LIV
Sara Byrne, winner of the 2023 Women’s Amateur of the Year award, pictured at the Irish Golf Writers' Association Annual lunch in the Palmer clubhouse at The K Club. Picture: Fran Caffrey | Golffile
Jon Rahm was suspended by the PGA Tour over his defection to LIV Golf as Tony Finau quashed rumours of his departure to the Saudi-backed league.
The PGA Tour released a memo announcing Rahm's suspension in a memo to its players on Monday evening.
The world number three was suspended under tour rules that "ensure that suspended members do not negatively impact other players' tournament eligibility, position on the Priority Rankings or eligibility to compete in the Playoffs and Signature Events."
Rahm won four times in 2022-23 and finished 18th in the FedEx Cup, but his results will no longer count in the points list that prioritises eligibility for the 2024 season.
That's good news for Canada's Mackenzie Hughes, who moves from 51st to 50th and will now be eligible for the eight $20 million signature events in 2024.
Alex Smalley also moved to 60th to earn starts in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, while Carl Yuan keeps his card by moving to 125th.
As for Finau, rumours that the world number 20 was poised to join Rahm in the LIV Golf League were scotched by the man himself on Instagram on Monday night.
"I'm excited for 2024 and looking forward to playing my 10th season on the PGA Tour! And stoked to be defending in both Mexico and Houston!" The world number 20 Finau wrote.
Ending all speculation, he signed off with, "See y'all in Maui! #imnotleaving".
Meanwhile, Leona Maguire has been rewarded for another outstanding year by being named as the recipient of the Irish Golf Writers' Association's 2023 Women's Professional of the Year award.
The touring professional for The K Club, 29, receives the McGuirk's-sponsored award after a season that saw her capture her second LPGA Tour title at the Meijer LPGA Classic and star in Europe's retention of the Solheim Cup in Spain.
Tom McKibbin, who turns 21 next week, won the Men's Professional Award after he became Irish golf's youngest tour winner since Rory McIlroy in 2009 by capturing the Porsche European Open.
Laytown and Bettystown's Alex Maguire and Douglas' Sara Byrne won the Men's and Women's Amateur of the Year Awards.
Walker Cup star Maguire (22) announced at a luncheon held at The K Club that he plans to turn professional this week.
Cork's Denis O'Sullivan, winner of two Irish amateur titles, was named the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Services to Golf Award sponsored by Galvin Green after a storied career that saw him turn pro at 49 and win six times on the European Seniors Tour.
Meanwhile, Castlewarden's Lauren Walsh cruised into the final stage of the LET Q-School in Morocco when she finished fourth in her 54-hole pre-qualifier at Noria Golf Club in Marrakech.
The former Wake Forest star closed with a one-under 72 to finish just four shots behind Singapore amateur Shannon Tan and Scotland's Alison Muirhead on seven-under and now joins Olivia Mehaffey in the five-round final stage, which begins on Saturday.
