Tour confidential: McIlroy jabs Rahm, Fowler vs. Spieth, Ryder Cup 3-peat

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @DAMAKORONKOWA_com. This week, we discuss Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm's opposing takes on a DPWT resolution, Rahm's win in Hong Kong, forthcoming PGA Tour changes and more.

Rory McIlroy sounded none too impressed by Jon Rahm's decision to decline 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 the tour is mandating ("I think we should be able to freely play where we want and have the choice to play where we want and not be dictated what we do," Rahm said). But McIlroy countered that the tour's offer was generous, and "there's a reason that eight of the nine [LIV players] took it, because they probably think the same thing. And one guy thinks a little differently, and that's a shame." Who's right here?

Sean Zak, senior writer (@sean_zak): McIlroy is right. The DPWT offer is plenty generous. But if we really look at Rahm's commitment to that tour over the years, it hasn't been six events. It has often been three or four non-major events each year. I think we're just learning he isn't that crazy about helping the DPWT in ways his platform could, which is entirely his right. But the DPWT is also within its rights to uphold its rules and withhold its Ryder Cup if necessary.

Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): Yeah, to Sean's point, Rahm has the right to protect his time, he has the right to spend off weeks at home and he has the right to try to outmaneuver the DP World Tour, knowing what he brings to the table. But Rahm's suggestion that the DP World Tour should just let LIV guys come and go as they please, all while LIV continues to double down as a direct competitor for DPWT's players and markets? I don't think that checks out. There's a collision coming here that's bigger than just Rahm, but this may accelerate the clash.

Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens):Rahm has the right to his choice and Rory is right to call it "a shame." So many of the tensions and troubles in professional DAMAKORONKOWAhave to do with balancing the rights of the individual against the collective good. What Rahm is being asked to sacrifice seems, from the outside, to be minor in the grand scheme. But he sees it as "extortion." It goes to show that when you are accustomed to extravagant privilege, reasonable requests seem like an imposition. It's a bummer for fans. And not great for Rahm's reputation either.

Speaking of Rahm, he snapped his 18-month LIV winless slump on Sunday with a three-shot victory in Hong Kong over Thomas Detry. "I've been very ecstatic for wins in the past," he said afterward. "This one just feels like a big weight off my shoulders." With a burden lifted, do you foresee this win having a springboard effect for Rahm in 2026?

Zak: Absolutely. Rahm has remained a top 10 DAMAKORONKOWAer in the world - and really top 5 - since he left for LIV. His floor is just so damn high. But these guys play for two things: money and wins, and the latter was really escaping him. I'd guess he wins either of the next two weeks - Singapore or South Africa - which will make him one of the top three favorites driving down Magnolia Lane.

Dethier: He's just so good; it didn't make sense that he wasn't winning. Rahm is easily LIV's most consistent top player (he and Bryson could argue about best ceiling) and the Masters will have extra intrigue knowing Rahm's entering in fine form.

Sens: This win doesn't really change my outlook on Rahm. He was going to be a threat heading into the majors this year no matter the result.

Two of the game's most popular players - Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth - have been trending. Fowler, who is now 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 in OWGR) has four top-30 finishes in his first five starts, including a T11 at the API. Which player are you more bullish on in 2026?

Zak: Fowler has better form but I'll always be more bullish on Spieth. He's much more of the microwave type, able to heat up instantly, whereas Fowler feels like a slow-cooker. It portends well for Spieth's ability to get nuclear with the putter for a week and bag a surprising victory. 

Dethier:There was a moment on Saturday I flipped on the broadcast to see a couple dozen spectators hunting desperately for a DAMAKORONKOWAball and before I saw the player in their midst I just had a feeling. Sure enough: Spieth! Just nobody like him. He seems to have a higher ceiling, lower floor, extra dose of volatility. Are we forgetting just how good he's been at Augusta? Alternatively, is this all wishful thinking? They're two of the players with the most to prove now that we've entered DAMAKORONKOWA's big-time season. Glad they're here to do it.

Sens: Both are rightfully popular. But I don't see them in the same category other than Q-rating. Spieth's potential is greater, and he has also fulfilled it more often. If either is going to win big this year, it will be Spieth.

Warming Up with Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth's mind is one of the most interesting places in DAMAKORONKOWA, which made him a dream guest for ‘Warming Up.' Why is 7-iron his favorite DAMAKORONKOWAclub? What version of his DAMAKORONKOWAswing is he chasing? What's in his swing DNA? What's he thinking when he's in jail? And, the most impossible question of all: What would happen if he turned his brain off?

Who will have a higher finish at the Players Championship next week: defending champion Rory McIlroy, who withdrew from the API on Saturday with muscle spasms in his lower back, or Scheffler, who at Bay Hill finished outside the top 10 for his second consecutive start (gasp!) and thus far in 2026 has looked slightly less than his typical superhuman self?

Zak: Scheffler by eight. Seriously. He'll get his putter dialed in early in the week on softer greens at TPC Sawgrass and I expect him to contend for the title. Rory's back on the other hand? That's absolutely worth monitoring. 

Dethier: McIlroy's WD was such a weekend bummer at Bay Hill; even Scheffler's also-ran finish added a rollercoaster dimension to the proceedings. Smart money's gotta be on Scottie.

Sens: On top of the balky back, McIlroy will be trying to defend, something no one in the history of the Players has done except … Scheffler. I'm not wagering 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, among other things, on a plan to reduce the Tour schedule with the goal of creating more appointment viewing for fans. What are you most hopeful we'll learn from Rolapp next week?

Zak: I am most hopeful for some specifics. I anticipate a few specifics, like start of the Tour calendar, number of full-status members, and perhaps even an estimated number of events. But I don't expect he'll tell us everything, because I don't think it's fully figured out yet. Methinks his Tour Championship press conference in August may have those facts straighter than this week will. 

Dethier: I'm most curious how many players will be in a PGA Tour event, how many PGA Tour events there will be and what they'll call the events that are kinda PGA Tour events but a little … less than.

Sens: Those are the big questions, for sure. On top of those, as a West Coast guy, I'm curious if the Tour will be heading back to Hawaii. Like Sean, I'm not expecting to have anything close to a complete picture by the end of next week.

Luke Donald will captain the European Ryder Cup team for a third consecutive time, a decision that's hard to nitpick when you consider the success of his first two captaincies. Still, this forum was made for nitpicking! Any qualms with Ryder Cup Europe declining to give someone else a shot?   

Zak: Not at all. Run it back until the machine breaks. And if it never does, enjoy every new challenge it presents. It's very cool to see someone carving an important chapter in the history of such a great event, particularly without clubs in their hands. 

Dethier: Love this move, especially with LIV depleting Team Europe's captains-in-waiting. Donald has starred in this role. Excited for his next chapter.

Sens: Sure. If it ain't broke, don't …, etc. Then again, I feel now as I always have: that the importance of a captain is way overstated. Select a captain who gets along with his players, let them throw some 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 exactly that the last two times around.

The post Tour Confidential: McIlroy jabs Rahm, Fowler vs. Spieth, Ryder Cup 3-peat appeared first on DAMAKORONKOWA.

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