Rahm on McKibbin’s LIV move: "He's a fantastic player, and the possibilities for him are endless whenever he decides to do”

Jon Rahm did not play down talk of Tom McKibbin’s move to his Legion XIII team and insisted LIV Golf was a growth environment for “a fantastic player”.

Speaking ahead of his debut in the Hero Dubai Classic, the Spaniard addressed reports strongly linking the Newtownabbey star (22) with an imminent move to LIV.

“I can't tell you what a good and bad environment is for Tom,” Rahm said when abut LIV being a good destination for a young player.  “I think that's an answer for him.  

“I think it is a good environment as any, really. It's just as competitive as pretty much any other tour.

“You have to go out there and play against some of the best players in the world, so yeah, it's an environment in which you can grow very rapidly, as well.

“He's a fantastic player, and the possibilities for him are endless whenever he decides to do.”

Rahm and McKibbin join defending champion Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington and the Emirates Golf Club this week.

It’s Rahm’s debut in the event and his chance to rack up Ryder Cup qualifying points.

He is currently appealing against fines for playing LIV events without a release and as it’s unlikely that appeal will be heard before the Ryder Cup in September,  he’s clearly planning to be in new York.

“I don't know what's going to happen in the future but I can tell you my plan is to be on that team at Bethpage,” he said.  “I don't know what's going to happen, and I'm hoping they don't try to settle the appeal before The Ryder Cup.

"I don't think that would be good for anybody. But my plan is to be at Bethpage.”

Keen to playing his four event minimum to keep DP World Tour membership, he knows he will have to perform in the majors to qualify for Luke Donald’s team automatically.

“It's going to be quite tricky for me to play more DP World Tour events until after August,” Rahm said of the 2025 LIV Golf season, which starts in Saudi Arabia in February.

As for compatriot Sergio Garcia paying his fines and potentially being welcomed back into the Ryder Cup fold, he backed his countryman but admitted the team dynamic had changed.

“Sergio Garcia can a can hit it tee-to-green better than anybody on the planet,” he said. “It's that simple. He's still that good and he's still very valuable… And I would love to see him in that team room but who knows what's going to happen.

“I also understand we did an incredible job in that last Ryder Cup having a newer team and coming together and performing the way we did.

“So I hope, I believe that there's a place for Sergio in there. I think there will be a place for Sergio on the Ryder Cup any given time. It's just a matter of time now is letting the clubs do the talking.”

As for a potential agreement between Saudi Arabia’s PIF, the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR, Rahm had little information but he said he saw huge possibilities for the game.

“I think a lot of us would say that when that framework agreement was done over a year and a half ago, things would be further along at this point,” Rahm said.

“And it's real hard to know what goes on behind closed doors, right. It's up to people much higher up than me. I don't know what their vision is or what they are expecting out of it, right.

“I think so many of us want some kind of resolution to come together and get the best product possible for the consumer, which is what I think we're still in a position to do.

“But I think we're living in a golden era right now for golf where the possibilities are endless.

“A big tour in Europe and worldwide and a massive tour, the PGA TOUR, and you have another big product with live and now you're even adding the TGL. When it comes to golf, the possibilities are there right now.

“I think with the right minds put together, you can end up with a product, and I've been saying this all along, that could put golf at a different level in the world of sport.

“I'm still hopeful that that can happen and whatever it looks like, it will look like whatever it looks like.

“But we are in that position nowadays to put golf in a higher level and I hope that happens.”