Jon Rahm says the Ryder Cup is the only event that warrants an exception to being played behind closed doors.
Rahm, who won the Race to Dubai in 2019, was speaking ahead of Thursday’s restart of the PGA Tour as players sharpen up their preparation for the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Recently, the world No 2 stated that the 2020 edition of the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits shouldn’t continue if fans can’t be accommodated.
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‘It’s the ultimate entertainment. It’s the one week where we don’t play for ourselves, we’re playing for Europe, they’re playing for the US and we’re all playing for the fans, and the fans make the event what it is.
‘If there can’t be spectators or you can’t have the Ryder Cup as a normal Ryder Cup, I don’t think they should do it – postpone it a year and do it right,’ Rahm told Sky Sports.
The Spaniard, however, won’t have a problem if the three Majors are conducted in front of empty galleries and accepts the fact that golf has been forced to adjust a little to ensure a safe playing environment.
‘With the Majors, as long as they can ensure the safety of the players, I believe we could play, and there’s no real reason why not unless you don’t want to play in front of fans. They can still watch it from home,’ the 25-year-old added.
‘A US Open will still be a US Open, a PGA will still be a PGA, and the Masters will still be the Masters. But I also would understand if they don’t want to do it without fans.
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‘I see both sides, but I think the only event that definitely shouldn’t be played without fans or with limited fans is the Ryder Cup.’
The first handful of events on the PGA Tour will be contested without fans present, but the Memorial Tournament announced last week that it has been given the green light to allow a small portion of fans when it gets under way in July.
