Jon Rahm says this pro was the MVP of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup afterparty

This episode of GOLF’s Subpar Podcast was recorded in November, prior to Jon Rahm signing with LIV Golf. For more on Rahm’s departure for LIV, click here.

Jon Rahm may have been one of the biggest reasons for Team Europe’s dominating win this fall at the Ryder Cup, but that didn’t apparently translate to the afterparty.

The World No. 3 and reigning Master Champion went 2-0-2 at Marco Simone and coupled with other standout performances from Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Tyrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood (and some questionable choices by the U.S. side), the home team came away with an emphatic 16.5-11.5 victory.

But when asked on GOLF’s Subpar podcast to relive the post-win festivities in Rome by co-hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz, Rahm was humbled.

“I was the LVP, the least valuable player,” Rahm said of his afterparty “performance”. “I let the team down severely.”

jon rahm celebrates with the ryder cup in italy in 2023 as his teammates look on
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Rahm admitted he expected Shane Lowry, an Irishman known to put down a few pints in celebration, to be the afterparty’s MVP, but it turned out to be a player not many were looking to. He also may have implied he may have had to leave the celebration sooner than he wanted to.

“Everybody told me Sepp Straka was the darkhorse of the race,” Rahm said. “Apparently Sepp can put some drinks down.”

Knost counted that Straka’s ability to drink with the best of them might have had something to do with where he attended college at the University of Georgia.

“I mean he’s basically from Georgia,” Knost joked. “It’s not even really fair he was on y’all’s team.”

But Rahm would have none of that implication.

“I think if it’s a drinking competition, the European team wins by a landslide,” Rahm said.

With the 2025 Ryder Cup taking place on Long Island, perhaps it would make a good venue to test out Rahm’s assurance of Team Europe as the heavyweights at the bar.

Check out the entire episode of GOLF’s Subpar below.

Jack Hirsh

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.