Dubai: Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn has said he will try to persuade Spanish youngster Jon Rahm to become a member of the European Tour in order to satisfy eligibility criteria for a potential call-up.
Rahm, 22, won his first professional event at the Farmers Insurance Open last weekend, but because he plays full-time on the PGA Tour in America and won’t play the required five European Tour events a season, he currently isn’t eligible to play for Europe at a Ryder Cup.
“Any player that’s European born and not a member of the tour, I encourage to become a member,” said Bjorn on the sidelines of this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on Wednesday.
“But people have got to make their own choices about how they live their lives. I’m in no position to deal with players when it comes to family and how they want to live and what they want to do,” added the Dane.
“That’s up to every single person to live their lives that way. But I encourage every European-born player to become a member of the European Tour, so that we can get the best possible team.
“I know Jon and we saw what happened last weekend. He’s very, very talented. Speaking to a couple of the Spanish lads as well, we hear very good things. And now it’s time, as he says in these text messages, to get our heads together at some stage and have a chat, and then we’ll see where he is,” said Bjorn, who reveals he and Rahm are now text-mates.
Asked if initial texts were promising, Bjorn said: “He has made those [positive] sounds, and if he does become a member, that’s a great thing for him.
“For any young player it should be a big part of your goal to play in a Ryder Cup. It’s a great event and as I always say, legends are formed on performances in Majors, but public legends are very much formed in the Ryder Cup.”
Bjorn went on to use the example of another Spaniard, the late, Seve Ballesteros, in an obvious tactic to pull at the heartstrings of Rahm.
“When people ask me what I remember of Seve, I remember five Major championships, but I remember more him and Ollie [Jose Maria Olazabal] walking down fairways in Ryder Cups.
“So, if you want to have it all, you’ve got to perform and do both well,” he added on playing both tours. “And I think that if you want to have the whole package, you’ve got to be able to do both. The Ryder Cup is a massive event and it can do a lot for your career and your persona, and I think that’s something that you can encourage anybody to be a part of.”
