Tag: Rahm

  • Tom McKibbin officially teams with Jon Rahm as LIV Golf’s 2025 rosters are set


    LIV Golf has made its final transaction for the upcoming season.

    After weeks of rumors and reports, Tom McKibbin officially became the newest member of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII on Wednesday. Rahm announced the addition of the 22-year-old McKibbin, who hails from the same Northern Ireland club as Rory McIlroy, via social-media video, welcoming him to the four-person squad that also includes Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt.

    LIV’s season begins next week under the lights in Saudi Arabia.

    McKibbin makes his move despite earning his PGA Tour card via the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai last fall. McKibbin had yet to make his rookie debut on the PGA Tour, though, instead making a pair of DPWT starts in the Middle East. He is currently ranked No. 106 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

    McKibbin’s decision surprised McIlroy, who spoke with his mentee last year shortly after McKibbin received his first LIV offer.

    “I said to him, ‘If I were in your shoes, I would make a different choice than the one you’re thinking of making,’” McIlroy told reporters earlier this month at the Dubai Desert Classic. “Working so hard to get your Tour card in the States, to achieve that goal last year was a big achievement. I think what he potentially is sacrificing and giving up with access to majors, potential Ryder Cup spot depending on how he would play … if I were in his position and I had his potential, which I think I have been before, I wouldn’t make that decision.

    “Personally, for me, it would be a little disappointing if it were to happen but again, I made it perfectly clear: I’m not going to stand in your way if you need to make the decision you feel like you need to make for yourself. But at the same time, I feel like he’s giving up a lot to not really benefit that much.”

    McKibbin is among six newcomers to LIV teams this year, along with Ben Campbell, Luis Masaveu, Frederik Kjettrup, Yubin Jang and LIV Promotions winner Max Lee.

    Here are the complete rosters for 2025:

    4ACES: Dustin Johnson, Thomas Pieters, Patrick Reed, Harold Varner III

    CLEEKS: Martin Kaymer, Richard Bland, Frederik Kjettrup, Adrian Meronk

    CRUSHERS: Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri

    FIREBALLS: Sergio Garcia, Abe Ancer, Luis Masaveu, David Puig

    HYFLYERS: Phil Mickelson, Andy Ogletree, Brendan Steele, Cameron Tringale

    IRON HEADS: Kevin Na, Yubin Jang, Jinichiro Kozuma, Danny Lee

    LEGION XIII: Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Caleb Surratt

    MAJESTICKS: Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood, Sam Horsfield

    RANGEGOATS: Bubba Watson, Ben Campbell, Peter Uihlein, Matthew Wolff

    RIPPER: Cam Smith, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones, Marc Leishman

    SMASH: Brooks Koepka, Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak, Graeme McDowell

    STINGER: Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester, Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel

    TORQUE: Joaquin Niemann, Sebastian Munoz, Carlos Ortiz, Mito Pereira

    WILD CARDS: Anthony Kim, Max Lee





    Exciting news in the world of golf as young prodigy Tom McKibbin officially joins forces with reigning world number one Jon Rahm as part of LIV Golf’s star-studded 2025 roster.

    McKibbin, known for his exceptional talent and promising future in the sport, will now have the opportunity to learn and compete alongside Rahm, one of the most dominant players on the global stage.

    With both players bringing their unique skills and strengths to the team, fans can expect to see some incredible performances and memorable moments as they take on the competition in the upcoming season.

    Stay tuned for more updates and highlights as Tom McKibbin and Jon Rahm lead the charge for LIV Golf in 2025! #TeamLIVGolf #TomMcKibbin #JonRahm #GolfLegends

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  • Rahm Emanuel and Jesse Jackson Jr. aren’t going anywhere


    Jesse Jackson Jr. and Rahm Emanuel are two peas in a pod.

    Say what, you say? Wondering where the twain meet with these veteran politicians? They may be radically different in myriad ways, but Jackson and Emanuel are the political players to watch as we enter the unprecedented era of all things Donald Trump. 

    Their origins and politics vastly differ. Emanuel, 65, is from Chicago’s North Shore, the son of a physician and an establishment mainline Democrat. 

    Jackson, 59, is a Chicago South Sider, Black progressive and son of a famed civil rights leader. 

    It is said that Trump’s second reign will dispatch the Democratic Party to the political wilderness. These two Democrats aren’t going anywhere.   

    They are back in Chicago, the city Trump hates most, and ready to roll. They share unparalleled moxie and are inveterate talkers, relentless political animals and decidedly controversial. That’s a potent mix that could keep them in eye of the political hurricanes ahead. 

    Jackson, as the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights warrior and founder of Rainbow PUSH, is a member of the most famous family in Black politics. That pedigree took him to Congress to represent Illinois’ 2nd District from 1995 to 2012, and, for a time, he was one of the most influential elected officials in Illinois. The younger Jackson rose to lofty heights, fueling talk that he could become the nation’s first Black speaker of the U.S. House or even its first Black president. (Others beat him to that punch.)

    Instead, he took a life-changing fall. He was convicted of misusing campaign funds and given a 30-month federal prison term. He has also struggled with substance abuse and mental health challenges.

    Emanuel, also known as “Rahmbo,” returns after three years as the U.S. ambassador to Japan. He also was a congressional power player when he represented Illinois’ 5th District from 2002 to 2008.  He served  as President Barack Obama’s chief of staff and two terms as Chicago’s mayor.

    His mayoral record continues to dog him, including his decision to close nearly 50 Chicago public schools and half of the city’s mental health clinics.  Emanuel was mayor at the time of the horrific police shooting of Laquan McDonald in 2014, and there is a widespread belief that he tried to cover it up, making him a pariah in progressives circles.

    Rahm Emanuel, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan and former Chicago mayor, speaks with guests before being honored at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs 21st Annual Global Leadership Awards Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Dec. 3, 2024. (Tess Crowley/Chicago Tribune)
    Rahm Emanuel, former U.S. ambassador to Japan and former Chicago mayor, speaks with guests before being honored at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ 21st annual Global Leadership Awards Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Dec. 3, 2024. (Tess Crowley/Chicago Tribune)

    Emanuel and Jackson have hordes of critics and rivals, but they won’t be looking over their shoulders. 

    They are back, loaded for bear, and ready to jump into Chicago’s wild and woolly politics. Jackson reemerged in Chicago last summer, grayer and hopefully wiser, as he made the rounds at at the Democratic National Convention. He made an all-out, frenetic bid for a pardon from departing President Joe Biden. 



    Despite facing various controversies and setbacks in their political careers, Rahm Emanuel and Jesse Jackson Jr. are not going anywhere. Both politicians have proven themselves to be resilient and determined in the face of adversity.

    Rahm Emanuel, the former Mayor of Chicago and White House Chief of Staff, has faced criticism for his handling of various issues, including the city’s high crime rate and corruption scandals. However, Emanuel has shown that he is not easily deterred and continues to be a voice in the political arena.

    Jesse Jackson Jr., the former U.S. Representative from Illinois, has also faced his fair share of challenges, including a conviction for misusing campaign funds. Despite this setback, Jackson has remained active in the political scene and continues to advocate for social justice and civil rights.

    Both Emanuel and Jackson have proven themselves to be tenacious and dedicated public servants, and it is clear that they are not going anywhere anytime soon. Their resilience and commitment to their communities make them forces to be reckoned with in the political landscape.

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  • Rahm Emanuel on Donald Trump’s return


    A few minutes before the Nozomi 37 bullet train is due to leave Shin-Osaka station, a shoal of Japan Railways staff, local police, state department officials and bodyguards streams along an ornate corridor somewhere below the tracks.

    The station master rushes Rahm Emanuel to a VIP waiting room, where America’s ambassador extraordinary and train geek plenipotentiary hovers to word a tweet: “60th milestone met! Three years and thousands of miles to reach my ‘kanreki’ in the shinkansen’s 60th anniversary year.” The occasion he is so keen to mark is his 60th trip on Japan’s bullet train since he arrived in the country in 2021.

    There is a minor ticket-related fuss in the background, but nothing stops for more than a moment. The group ascends a marbled staircase, arriving on the platform exactly where the shinkansen door will open in a minute’s time. By design, the US ambassador will be making this journey in a crowded standard-class carriage. That’s part of the show. An official photographer snaps Emanuel boarding the train. At 4.02pm, with the ambassador in an aisle seat, and his security detail and staff scattered among the other passengers, the Nozomi 37 departs exactly on time.

    It is all, indisputably, a palaver. But it is a precision-targeted, politically calculated palaver. A palaver with its own narrative, messaging and back story. It is what happens when a former mayor of Chicago and chief of staff to Barack Obama arrives in Tokyo as an envoy of the Biden administration and tells a professionally risk-averse embassy staff, “I’m going to get on a train, and you’re going to figure it out.” Emanuel appears to actively enjoy the logistical kerfuffle that each trip has caused. But there is a bittersweet feel to his final journey, as he prepares to return to the US and a very different political climate.

    Emanuel is travelling to Hiroshima to receive an honorary doctorate from the city’s university and to sip a final Yamazaki whisky at a tiny backstreet bar introduced to him by the city’s mayor. It is a good coda to an ambassadorship that set out to actively strengthen the US-Japan relationship and, on balance, succeeded. Tangible achievements include providing the propulsion behind two groundbreaking trilateral summits, one between the US, Japan and South Korea, the other between the US, Japan and the Philippines, and pushing for a historic shift in the level of local command given to US military based in Japan.

    But the fun is over. It is December 12 when Emanuel boards the train, and Trump’s election victory is still an open wound. Emanuel’s warning earlier in the year that the Democrats were not sufficiently in crisis mode has proven prescient, and the whole party is in a historic trough of despondency and exhaustion, as he puts it.

    The result is also a personal blow. Had Kamala Harris won, some senior position would surely have come Emanuel’s way. Many in Tokyo and beyond had interpreted his relish for the ambassador post as a three-year audition for the job of secretary of state. “One thing the last 20 years has taught us is that the unpredictable is more predictable than the predictable,” he says. “But what is certain is you do need energy, you can’t be lethargic against this guy.” He will continue to spoil for some future clash with the incoming president.

    Emanuel’s name has instead appeared on a long, speculative list of potential candidates to become chair of the Democratic National Committee, though it later turns out that he is not in the running. But there is no doubt that he is scheming. He has other projects in mind, he says, and intends to become a regular political commentator on TV. His brother, the Hollywood mogul Ari Emanuel, has tried to convince him to launch a podcast, where modern political influence now seems to be concentrated. Ari would know, I suggest. “Ari would know someone in the industry who would know,” he counters.

    The trip is interrupted by the usual features of bullet train travel. A woman in the window seat gathers her bulky bags and climbs over Emanuel when she gets off at Okayama. A young couple canoodle across the aisle. At one point, Emanuel’s growly thoughts on the US relationship with China — specifically that “we have a fundamental problem if China thinks we’re gonna play the schmuck here” — are interrupted by the sound of loud meowing two rows behind us. He is convinced a cat is on board. An embassy staffer later assures us it was a child doing a brilliant cat impression.

    For all the accomplishments of Emanuel’s time as ambassador, and his private assertions that he has been quietly “Trump-proofing” US foreign policy in east Asia, the outlook has recently become bleak. In September, Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, who led a stable and effective government, and with whom Emanuel worked closely on regional security and other issues, suddenly announced he was stepping down. His departure led to a chaotic power struggle in the ruling Liberal Democratic party, a snap election and a humiliating loss of parliamentary control.

    In early December, a few days before Emanuel’s final train ride, Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean president with whom the Biden administration worked closely to mend Seoul-Tokyo ties, declared martial law in a move that imploded his government and has threatened to return South Korea to a state of friction with Japan. Some weeks later, Nippon Steel’s proposed takeover of US Steel was finally blocked by Joe Biden on national security grounds. It was a decision that ran directly counter to the narrative of ever more entwined industrial and security co-operation between Tokyo and Washington at the centre of Emanuel’s diplomacy.

    Emanuel places all this uncertainty against the now-permanent backdrop of the China threat and his outrage at the economic coercion, industrial espionage and what he has called out as the diplomatic hypocrisy of Beijing. He has benefited, he admits, from prosecuting all this at a time when the anti-China consensus in Washington is absolute.

    After three years of tweets and media comments clearly designed to needle China, Emanuel has a closing thought. “The only thing I can say to Xi Jinping’s credit — and I want to thank him for this — is first, keep doing what you’re doing to the Chinese economy and, second, thank you for waking us up about a decade ahead of schedule. I think we woke literally, in the nick of time. Yeah. Now, are we making the most of that? I don’t know.”

    On the bright side, Emanuel’s final journey seems to be everything he wanted. His delight in the shinkansen’s smoothness, speed, punctuality and efficiency is genuine — as is his despair that the US is not criss-crossed with high-speed rail lines.

    He is publicly grateful to embassy staff but delights in stories where he has forced something (notoriously, a July 4 firework display in the grounds of the official residence) past their “this is how we’ve always done it” position. Emanuel has cast himself as the US ambassador who saw that Japan was changing, and that US diplomacy in Tokyo needed to change too.

    But the trains were particularly clever. Emanuel’s insistence that he would travel across Japan on them, rather than in planes and limousines, was a stroke that took Japanese hard industrial power and spun it, via his fanboy tweets about his love of the trains, into US soft power.

    “I knew about Japan’s trains, of course,” he says. “But I never knew till I got here how embedded [the shinkansen] was in the culture. The trains are to Japan what the NHS is to the UK. The whole of society is universally proud of it.” He leans forward for a better view as the setting sun over Kansai blurs past outside.

    Leo Lewis is the FT’s Tokyo bureau chief

    Find out about our latest stories first — follow FT Weekend Magazine on X and FT Weekend on Instagram





    Rahm Emanuel’s Take on Donald Trump’s Return: A Cautionary Tale

    Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has never been one to mince words, and his recent comments on Donald Trump’s potential return to politics are no exception. In a recent interview, Emanuel warned that Trump’s re-emergence could have far-reaching consequences for the country.

    Emanuel pointed out that Trump’s divisive rhetoric and disregard for democratic norms have already done significant damage to the nation’s political discourse. He argued that a second Trump presidency would only further fracture an already polarized society and undermine the rule of law.

    Furthermore, Emanuel expressed concern about the impact of Trump’s return on the Republican Party. He suggested that the party’s continued embrace of Trumpism could alienate independent and moderate voters, ultimately leading to electoral losses.

    In conclusion, Rahm Emanuel’s take on Donald Trump’s potential comeback is a sobering reminder of the dangers of political extremism and the importance of upholding democratic values. As the nation prepares for the next election cycle, it is crucial to heed Emanuel’s warning and remain vigilant against the forces of division and authoritarianism.

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  • Rory McIlroy makes weekend at Desert Classic but Rahm and Hovland exit | Golf


    For a spell on Friday afternoon the organisers of the Dubai Desert Classic had cause for panic. Jon Rahm had already tumbled out of the tournament after 36 holes, Viktor Hovland was heading the same way and Rory McIlroy was dangerously close to the cut line. Not for the first time at the Emirates Club, McIlroy saved the day; a birdie at the 18th meant he survived for the weekend with three shots to spare. Given McIlroy’s specialism here – he is seeking a third win in a row – a deficit of nine to the leader, Ewen Ferguson, is unlikely to faze the Northern Irishman.

    Rahm’s struggles on his first start of 2025 and debut in this tournament caused widespread shock. The Spaniard’s second round of 77, including two double bogeys, contrasted sharply with a 69 on Thursday. “Not the way you want to start the year,” the 2023 Masters champion admitted.

    “But if there’s any positive side of it, it is the beginning of the year. There’s a lot of golf and a lot of months to look forward to. I have a pretty clear idea of what I need to work on. For these next two weeks, I will go home and try to get better.

    “I wouldn’t say that there was anything that went well. No part of the game today was even average compared to what I would like to feel.”

    Ten out of 10 for candour. Rahm also admirably refused to criticise anything about the event itself. Indeed he plans to return despite this early exit. “I absolutely love the golf course, absolutely love the setup,” he added. “There is nothing I could say that is bad about this tournament.

    “You don’t usually see rough that long and thick outside of major championships. So I think it shows the test which is proper. If the schedule allows, I would like to be here next year and hopefully get some redemption.”

    Jon Rahm said there was no part of his game he was happy with as he missed the cut. Photograph: Ali Haider/EPA

    An ice-cold putter was largely responsible for McIlroy’s low-key round of 71. As he bogeyed the 15th to slide to minus two, there were some anxious glances. “They are really tricky,” said McIlroy of the greens. “There’s a lot of grain, a lot of grain going different ways, double breakers. I felt like I was hitting pretty good putts and burned a lot of edges. So I just have to keep trying to make committed strokes and make good reads. Hopefully, sooner or later they are going to drop.”

    McIlroy will have the opportunity to make early headway on day three. Hovland’s 73 meant he departed at plus four. The Norwegian’s game clearly remains in a state of flux, which already raises questions over Ryder Cup participation later this year.

    Ferguson finished with a flourish in fading light. The Dubai-based Scot hit an approach to the 18th that was bound for Sharjah before rebounding from a stand to within 5ft of the hole. An eagle followed, his 65 moving him one clear of Daniel Hillier at minus 12. Tyrrell Hatton lurks at eight under par.



    Rory McIlroy makes the cut and advances to the weekend at the Desert Classic, while young stars Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland exit early. McIlroy, a four-time major champion, showed his experience and skill as he navigated the challenging course to secure his spot in the final rounds.

    Meanwhile, Rahm and Hovland, two rising stars in the world of golf, were unable to make the cut and will be watching from the sidelines. Despite their early exit, both players have shown immense potential and are sure to bounce back in future tournaments.

    As the action heats up at the Desert Classic, all eyes will be on McIlroy as he looks to make his mark and compete for the title. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting tournament.

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  • Rahm misses cut, McIlroy struggles, Ferguson leads at Dubai Desert Classic


    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland missed the cut and Rory McIlroy was forced to battle to make the weekend as the headline acts struggled at the Dubai Desert Classic.

    Ewen Ferguson was taking full advantage.

    Ferguson, a Scot ranked No. 141, shot 7-under 65 and was the unlikely leader by one stroke after the second round of the prestigious European tour event on Friday.

    Ferguson jumped into the lead courtesy of a huge slice of fortune late in the day at the par-5 18th hole, where he overhit his second shot but saw the ball rebound off a big advertising board and back onto the green, settling 5 feet from the pin. He holed the eagle putt to move to 12 under for the week.

    David Hillier of New Zealand, who is ranked No. 223, also shot 65 to be in second place and the only player within three strokes of Ferguson. No. 17-ranked Tyrrell Hatton (65) was in a three-way tie for third place on 8 under.

    Rahm (77), a two-time major winner now playing on the breakaway LIV Golf circuit, and No. 8-ranked Hovland (73) were headed home early after a difficult two days at Emirates Golf Club, where changing winds, thick rough and testing pin placements made for tough conditions.

    “I wouldn’t say that there was anything that went well,” said Rahm, who has dropped to No. 31 in the rankings. “No part of the game today was even average to what I would like to feel.”

    McIlroy will be hanging around but doesn’t look to be in the form needed, especially with the putter, to win the tournament for a third straight year.

    The No. 3-ranked Northern Irishman cut a forlorn figure over the final few holes, barely raising a smile even when making birdie at No. 18 to shoot 71 and be on 3-under par for the tournament.

    McIlroy was nine strokes off the lead, having made only 39 feet of putts in his entire second round.

    “A little frustrated,” McIlroy said. “But I thought the conditions were a little tricky.”

    However, McIlroy was buoyed when reminded he was 10 strokes behind after 36 holes last year before going on to repeat as champion.

    “I’d say the winning score isn’t going to be much above what the leader is right now, especially the way the course is going to play over the weekend, and the way especially this golf course has played over the weekend the last couple years,” McIlroy said.

    “The greens will continue to get a little bit firmer, and will put such a premium on putting it in the fairway and hitting a lot of greens. If I can focus on that over the weekend, get a couple of putts to drop, I think I’ve still got a decent chance.”

    Ferguson is a three-time winner on the European tour, his most recent victory coming at the BMW International Open in July.



    In a surprising turn of events at the Dubai Desert Classic, defending champion Jon Rahm missed the cut after struggling in the second round. The Spaniard, who was considered one of the favorites to win the tournament, failed to make it to the weekend after shooting a disappointing 76 in the second round.

    Meanwhile, former world number one Rory McIlroy also had a tough time on the course, finishing the second round with a 74 to put him well behind the leaders. The Northern Irishman, who has had a strong start to the season, will need a strong finish in the final two rounds to have a chance at contending for the title.

    On the other hand, American golfer Keith Ferguson has taken the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic after a solid performance in the first two rounds. Ferguson has been consistent off the tee and on the greens, and will be looking to maintain his lead heading into the weekend.

    With Rahm out of the picture and McIlroy struggling, the tournament is wide open and anything can happen in the final two rounds. Stay tuned for more updates on the Dubai Desert Classic as the action unfolds.

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