Sign up every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in sports and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm’s dispute over a DPWT resolution, Rahm’s win in Hong Kong, upcoming PGA Tour changes and more.
Rory McIlroy didn’t seem too impressed Jon Rahm’s decision to turn down a DP world tour deal that would have given Rahm a path back to DP World Tour membership and 2027 Ryder Cup eligibility. Rahm maintained that he should not be forced to play more than four DP tournaments this season instead of the six that the tour requires (“I think we should be able to play freely where we want and have the choice to play where we want and not be dictated to what we do,” Rahm said). But McIlroy countered that the tournament’s offer was generous and “there’s a reason eight of the nine (LIV players) took it, because they probably think the same thing. And one guy thinks a little bit differently, and that’s a shame.” who is here
Sean Zak, senior writer (@sean_zak): McIlroy is right. The DPWT offer is very generous. But if we really look at Rahm’s dedication to that tournament over the years, then there isn’t there were six events. There were often three or four non-major events each year. I think we’re learning that he’s not crazy enough to help the DPWT in ways his platform could, which is entirely his right. But the DPWT is also within its rights to uphold its own rules and retain its Ryder Cup if necessary.
Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): Yes, according to Sean, Rahm has a right to defend his time, he has a right to spend weeks at home, and he has a right to try to maneuver the DP world tour, knowing what he brings to the table. But Rahm’s suggestion that the DP World Tour should allow LIV guys to come and go as they please, while LIV continues to double as a direct competitor for DPWT players and markets? I don’t think it checks out. Here comes a clash that’s bigger than just Rahm, but that could speed up the clash.
Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): Rahm is entitled to his choice and Rory is entitled to call it a “disgrace”. So many of the tensions and problems in professional golf have to do with balancing the rights of the individual against the collective good. What Rahm is being asked to sacrifice appears, from the outside, to be small in the grand scheme of things. But he sees it as “extortion”. This shows that when you are used to extravagant privileges, reasonable demands seem like an imposition. It’s a bummer for the fans. And it’s not good for Rahm’s reputation.
Speaking of Rahm, he ended his 18-month LIV winless streak on Sunday with a three-stroke victory in Hong Kong on Thomas Detry. “I’ve been very excited about the wins in the past,” he said afterwards. “It just feels like a huge weight off my shoulders.” With a burden lifted, do you foresee this win having a springboard effect for Rahm in 2026?
Zack: Absolutely. Rahm has remained a top 10 – and indeed top 5 – golfer in the world since leaving for LIV. His floor is very high. But these guys play for two things: money and winning, and the latter was really escaping them. I’m going to think he’ll win one of the next two weeks – Singapore or South Africa – which would make him one of the top three favorites walking down Magnolia Lane.
Dethier: He is very good; it didn’t make sense for him not to win. Rahm is easily LIV’s most consistent top player (he and Bryson could argue for the best ceiling), and the Masters will have added intrigue knowing Rahm enters in great form.
Meaning: This win doesn’t really change my view of Rahm. He would be a threat for the majors this year regardless of the outcome.
Two of the most popular players of the game – Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth – have been trending. Fowler, who is now ranked top 60 in the world, has five top-30 finishes in his first five starts of the year, including a T9 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday; and Spieth (Top 70 at OWGR) has four top-30 finishes in his first five starts, including a T11 at the API. Which player are you most Bulgarian in 2026?
Zack: Fowler has better form, but I will always be stronger on Spieth. It’s much more of the microwave type, able to heat up instantly, while the Fowler feels like a slow cooker. It bodes well for Spieth’s ability to take the core pretty much for a week and pull off a surprise win.
Dethier: There was a moment on Saturday when I switched over to watch a couple of dozen spectators desperately hunting for a golf ball, and before I saw the golfer in their midst, I just had a feeling. Of course: Spieth! Just nobody like him. It seems to have a higher ceiling, lower floor, extra dose of volatility. Are we forgetting how good he was at Augusta? Otherwise, is this all wishful thinking? They are two of the players with the most to prove now that we have entered the big golf season. Glad they are here to do that.
Meaning: Both are justifiably popular. But I don’t see them in the same category other than the Q rating. Spieth’s potential is greater and he has lived up to it more often. If one of them is going to win big this year, it’s going to be Spieth.
Who will have a higher finish at the Players Championship next week: defending champion Rory McIlroy, which was withdrawn from the API on Saturday with lower back muscle spasms, or Scheffler, who at Bay Hill finished outside the top 10 for his second consecutive start (gasp!) and so far in 2026 has looked little less than his typically superhuman self?
Zack: Scheffler of eight. Seriously. He will take his ball early in the week on the softer greens at TPC Sawgrass and I expect him to challenge for the title. Is Rory back on the other side? This is absolutely worth monitoring.
Dethier: McIlroy’s WD was such a terrible weekend at Bay Hill; even Scheffler’s ending added a rollercoaster dimension to the proceedings. The smart money is on Scottie.
Meaning: At the top of the blustery back, McIlroy will try to defend, something no one in Players history has done except … Scheffler. I’m not betting against the best player in the world, especially when the other guy is coming off an injury.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp will meet the press at The Players Championship on Wednesday. Rolapp and his team have been working on, among other things, a plan to reduce the tournament schedule with the goal of generating more match viewing for fans. What are you most hoping we’ll learn from Rolapp next week?
Zack: I’m really hoping for some specifics. I predict one LESS specifics, such as the start of the tournament calendar, the number of full-status members, and possibly an estimated number of events. But I don’t expect him to tell us everything because I don’t think it’s fully understood yet. He thinks his press conference at the Tour Championship in August might have those facts straighter than he will this week.
Dethier: I’m more curious about how many players will be in a PGA Tour event, how many PGA Tour events there will be, and what they will call the events that are somewhat PGA Tour events, but a little … less than.
Meaning: Those are the big questions, for sure. Also, as a West Coast guy, I’m curious if the tour will return to Hawaii. Like Sean, I don’t expect to have any full picture until the end of next week.
Luke Donald will captain the European Ryder Cup team for the third time in a row, a decision that is difficult to make when you consider the success of his first two captains. Still, this forum is designed to be enlightened! Any concerns with Ryder Cup Europe refusing to give anyone else a shot?
Zack: Not at all. Hit it again until the car breaks down. And if you never do, enjoy every new challenge it presents. It’s very nice to see someone carving an important chapter in the history of such a big event, especially without sticks in their hands.
Dethier: I like this move, especially with LIV impoverishing Team Europe’s captains-in-waiting. Donald played this role. Excited for his next chapter.
Meaning: Of course. If it’s not broken, don’t …, etc. Then again, I now feel as I always have: that the importance of a captain is greatly overrated. Pick a captain who gets on well with his players, let them throw a few names in a hat, and the rest is up to the guys who are actually hitting the shots. More often than not, the stronger team wins. And I thought the Europeans had just that the last two times.
