Time was running out for Jon Rahm. So were his options. If the former Masters and U.S. Open champion, and now LIV Golf League player, wished to be eligible for what would be his fourth Ryder Cup appearance for Europe next year, he had a decision to make.
In order to retain his DP World Tour membership—and thus his ability to compete in the Ryder Cup—Rahm must play in four Old World events outside of the majors before the end of the 2024 season. So far, he has completed only one, when he represented his native Spain in the Paris Olympics.
As of Wednesday, Rahm had entered the Open de España (held in three weeks, with entries closing Thursday), the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the Andalucia Masters, both in October. So far so good. But the only way the 29-year-old could tee it up in any or all of those was if he did one of two things. He could pay the fines he had accrued by playing in LIV tournaments opposite DP World Tour events; the amount of the fines is undisclosed but with Rahm in the running to win LIV’s season-long points race, and a $18 million bonus, he shouldn’t have any issues covering them. Or he could appeal the sanctions that currently prevent him from playing on his what was his home tour, as his Ryder Cup (and LIV Golf) teammate Tyrrell Hatton has done in order to play his four events.
Speaking in Chicago on Wednesday ahead of LIV’s last individual event of 2024, Rahm ruled out the first of those choices. Asked if he intends to “meet his commitment” to the DP World Tour, he unequivocally set out his position.
“Still talking to the DP World Tour,” he said on Wednesday. “I intend to play in Spain. I’m entered into the tournament. We entered a long time ago. Whether they let me play or not is a different thing. I’m not a big fan of the fines. I think I’ve been outspoken about that. I don’t intend to pay the fines, and we keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen.
“I’ve said many times, I don’t go to the Spanish Open for the glory or anything else. I think it’s my duty to Spanish golf to be there, and I also want to play in Sotogrande [at the Andalucia Masters]. At that point, it would almost be doing not only me but Spanish golf a disservice by not letting me play. That’s why we’re trying to talk to them to make that happen. I would also love to play the Dunhill. I have a good friend who asked me to play, and [tournament organizer] Johan [Rupert] has been a great ambassador for the game of golf. I would love to be able to play all those events.”
Clearly, the easier of Rahm’s options is simply to appeal against any fines and suspensions for which he is currently liable, an option that he finally acted on Thursday. “Jon Rahm has a pending appeal against sanctions imposed on him and in accordance with the DP World Tour’s Regulations, he is eligible to participate in the Acciona Open de España presented by Madrid later this month,” the DP World Tour said in a statement.
Mind you, this course of action is all but certain to still result in Rahm needing to pay his fines—the DP World Tour has already received a favourable ruling allowing it to have the right to impose its fines and suspensions on LIV players. But it offers a temporary stay of execution that allows Rahm to fulfil the minimum tournament requirement; there is no date set for when the appeal will be heard. At least technically, he would then be available to European Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, for the next instalment of the biennial matches between Europe and the United States at Bethpage Black a year from now.
Speaking at The Belfry before the Betfred British Masters earlier this month, Donald went on record as being in favor of that scenario. But only if Rahm plays by the same rules as anyone and everyone else.
“I’ve had many conversations with Jon,” Donald said. “He absolutely knows what the deal is. He knew when he signed for LIV what the policies were on the DP World Tour. He has to play four events in a season to be eligible. And he can pay the fines, or he can appeal like some of the guys have. It’s really up to him to do that. I hope very much that he does and becomes eligible. He certainly mentioned at the PGA Championship he was willing to do whatever it took to commit to me and the team.”
All of which is within the rules as they currently stand. But it also strikes many on the eastern side of the Atlantic as a bit rich of Rahm that it took him this long to decide to move forward with his plans. So far this year there have been 18 regular DP World Tour events that have not clashed with majors or LIV events. Rahm has failed to play in even one of those, never mind three. Instead, he has chosen to take a pass on nearly three months of opportunities, a fact that hasn’t gone unnoticed by his peers on the DP World circuit.
Indeed, there is a strong notion that the longer Rahm prevaricated over this issue, the less welcome he would likely be in the next European side. With every week that passed, his stubbornness to comply with long-established tour rules had the real potential to create an almost unprecedented division within the team room. While there is no doubt that Rahm remains one of Europe’s 12-best players, it is also a fact that the 12 best doesn’t necessarily make the best team.
For the Europeans, the team ethos is all important. Speaking before last year’s matches in Italy, Rory McIlroy was asked if he was looking forward to helping any Ryder rookies who might “look up to him.” The response was simple. McIlroy didn’t want anyone looking up to him. Rather, he wished those less-experienced players to “look alongside me.” It is that sort of philosophy with which Rahm is toying.
So, while Rahm has talked a good game when it comes to his desire to play in another Ryder Cup, his actions perhaps were speaking louder than his words. Whether he likes it or not, he is not a special case.
The bottom line? If Rahm failed to pay his dues or appeal his case, a chain reaction would have been set in motion. He wouldn’t have be playing in his national Open later his month. He wouldn’t have the opportunity to tee it up in the two lucrative DP World Tour playoff events in the Middle East in November (if he qualified for them). He would no longer be a member of the DP World Tour. He would not be eligible for next year’s Ryder Cup and, as an aside, he wouldn’t be able to be a future captain or assistant captain of the European team. That’s a big price to pay for stubbornness.
Main Image: Andrew Redington
