On September 9, the PGA of America announced the resolution of the merger chaos, stating that LIV Golf players will be allowed to participate in both the Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship. However, this was already in effect, as LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau nearly won the 2024 PGA Championship. For many in the golf community, this announcement seemed rather pointless.

Padraig Harrington was one such person. “I saw the announcement from the PGA and it didn’t say anything, it just said if you qualify you get to play which is what they did the last time,” he said, noting the redundancy of the announcement. However, Harrington had his own thoughts on the ongoing situation in the world of golf.

Padraig Harrington believes Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton would be assets for Europe

With the inception of the breakaway league, European players have faced challenges despite their dominance in the last edition of the Ryder Cup. Players like Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton are unable to be part of the team, as they don’t qualify for OWGR points. According to Harrington, young players like Rahm and Hatton can make a huge difference in the game and be the future of the team.

He wishes that the LIV Golfers, who have experience are allowed to truly be part of the event as there is no better “winning formula than the perfect blend of youth and experience” according to Harington. However, he also mentions the problem with taking in players who will be appearing at the event for the first time.

The Ryder Cup has a rather different format when compared to the regular events on the PGA Tour. “The difficult thing with the Ryder Cup is you do want some rookies but it does take time to be comfortable in that environment so you probably want a nice spread of nine experienced players and three rookies or four something like that because there is plenty of talent in those rookies,” Harrington continued.

When the PIF merger was announced, the three-time major champion voiced his opposition. He stated that although the merger would benefit both leagues financially, the PGA Tour would ultimately gain a controlling share of the golf world due to its early actions. Harrington has a perspective on nearly every major development in the golf world, and now he also has a solution for the merger.

Padraig Harington asks the PGA Tour to take one small step

Harrington was part of the field at the Amgen Irish Open. After the practice round, during the post-round conference, he proposed a suggestion that could help bridge the gap between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour, and LIV Golf. He suggested that each PGA Tour and European Tour event should have four invites for LIV players, as well as invites for an international team.

This, he believes, would give players like Rahm the opportunity to compete on the DP World Tour and players like Ancer a chance to play in the Mexican Open. “If four PGA Tour guys come over, it’s not like they are going to be welcomed with open arms, so that creates buzz at their events,” he said.

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