Luke Donald pins Jon Rahm’s poor form on £450m LIV Golf move after dreadful PGA Championship

Luke Donald suggested that Jon Rahm’s recent struggles in majors could be related to his defection to LIV Golf after the Spaniard missed the cut at the PGA Championship

Luke Donald reckons Jon Rahm needs time to adjust to playing LIV Golf after the European Ryder Cup captain said he is “not too concerned” about the Spaniard’s major form.

The double major champion joined LIV in December and has finished in the top 10 in his first seven events on the Saudi-backed tour. But the world No.5 finished tied 45th at the Masters and saw his run of making 18 consecutive cuts in the majors end at the US PGA.

Yet Donald believes class is permanent. “Jon’s record speaks for itself and what he’s done,” he said. “It’s just a change. golfers are very much creatures of habit. You’re used to four rounds and go to three, the mentality is a bit different and you have to push a little bit more because you have one less round to do it. Golfers are very much creatures of habit.

“It’s all a bit new for him. His results on LIV certainly haven’t been terrible, a lot of top 10s I know he hasn’t won, but I’m not too concerned right now. Form is more important to me leading up to a Ryder Cup, not 15, 16 months out.”

Rahm missed the weekend by a single shot after rounds of 70 and 72 in a low scoring week. “I made mistakes,” he admitted. “If you don’t take fairways on this course, it is complicated.”

The Spaniard and Tyrrell Hatton are able to play for Europe next year as long as he keeps his DP World Tour card by playing four events each year. “If they follow the rules of the DP World Tour they are still eligible and they can still play,” said Donald.

The Ryder Cup skipper, who shot a final round of 71 to finish two-under par, visited next year’s venue Bethpage Black last week. By contrast, the United States has still to appoint a captain with negotiations continuing with Tiger Woods.

“We feel like we’re on track and not really concerned what the US are doing at the moment,” said Donald. “I know Tiger’s very busy with everything going on on the PGA Policy Board. Maybe his focus right now is a little bit more on that. Whenever it’s announced I’m looking forward to going up against whoever it is. It doesn’t matter. If it’s Tiger, great, if it’s someone else it’s no problem either.”