Jon Rahm’s Clash With DP World Tour Remains Unresolved at Augusta

AUGUSTA — Jon Rahm said he is confident he will be at the Ryder Cup in Ireland competing for Europe next year. But his path to that event is still filled with roadblocks, including a diversion that he so far has yet to take.

Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion who is having a strong year on the LIV Golf League, addressed the ongoing saga that sees him unwilling to agree to terms that would allow him to play in conflicting events on the LIV Tour while not needing to seek DP World Tour releases and thus avoid fines.

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As it stands now, Rahm is not permitted to play in DP World Tour events unless he resolves fines (which LIV Golf would pay) from 2024-25 and agrees in 2026 to play six events—up from the required four. He’s also facing fines for the three conflicting events he has played this year, a fate he could have avoided had he agreed to the deal the DP World Tour offered earlier this year.

“I'm not planning to play until September. So that's a bit of a positive,” Rahm said Tuesday at Augusta National in advance of the Masters. “If I were unable right now, it doesn't matter since I'm not planning to tee it up until after August like I have done in my career.

“I do intend to continue to support the DP World Tour. I've been very thankful to be a member. I've been very thankful to support the Tour and play some wonderful events. The Irish Open has been very good to me, and I would love to make a return. Wentworth (for the BMW PGA Championship) has been fantastic every single year, the Spanish Open, maybe even the Dunhill (in Scotland). We have some events like the French Open and the Omega (European Open). Those are events that I'd love to have the chance to play.”

Rahm, a two-time major winner who has not finished worse than fifth in five LIV events this year, with a win and three second-place finishes. He’s considered an integral part of the European Ryder Cup team.

Rahm passed on the DP World Tour’s offer earlier this year

In order to be eligible, however, he needs to be a member of the DP World Tour and play in the required number of events.

The deal that eight other LIV Golf players took earlier this year allows them to compete in conflicting LIV events without seeking releases. Without those releases, they’d be getting fined throughout the year.

“We keep talking to them, and we keep trying to negotiate,” Rahm said. “I have given in quite a bit in a few things ... We're going to work it out. It's going to work out. As of now, the DP World Tour is doing what they need to do and following the channels they need to follow, but I'm confident this will be sorted out before I tee it up in September.”

The DP World Tour’s stance is that nothing has changed and that it is following its rules.

Three years ago this week, the DP World Tour got a favorable ruling from a UK arbitration panel which allowed it to impose fines and suspensions for competing in conflicting events. It has deemed the LIV Golf League to be in conflict and has fined players who are members.

To date, all who accrued fines as members of the DP World Tour have paid up. Rahm is the only one who has not, although he has dropped his appeal of his fines.

“We keep talking about the DP World Tour and trying to figure out a solution that works best,” Rahm said. “I didn't think that going the legal route and going to court was good for anybody. So I have faith in us and the DP World Tour we're going to find a good solution for both of us.”

Rahm passed on the DP World Tour’s offer earlier this year

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