Rahm's race for Ryder Cup eligibility
Spaniard has three more hurdles to clear in coming months; What Alex learned
Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton hope to celebrate with Euro mates at 2025 Ryder Cup (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf)
When Jon Rahm made the shocking move to LIV Golf last December, Rory McIlroy was quick to suggest that the DP World Tour needed to change its rules so the Spanish superstar could be part of the European Ryder Cup team in 2025 at Bethpage.
Rahm’s jump to the rival league and the subsequent fallout was viewed as a seismic shift in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf standoff.
The 2023 Masters champion, who had won four times that season and helped spark Europe’s resounding victory in Rome at the Ryder Cup, would surely be the impetus to forge peace and cooperation.
Right? Well …
Nine months later, there is seemingly no deal in sight between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which funds LIV Golf. And there is a looming decision for Rahm as it pertains to the Ryder Cup.
Rahm needs to meet the DP World Tour minimum of four events to retain his membership and be eligible for Ryder Cup consideration, and a deadline for him to enter the Sept. 26-29 Spanish Open arrives Thursday. He currently has only one qualified start — the Men’s Olympic Golf Competition — applied to his four required.
Within days of his signing with LIV, McIlroy was clear what needed to happen.
“Jon is going to be in Bethpage in 2025, so because of this decision, the European tour are going to have to rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup eligibility,” McIlroy told Sky Sports at the time. “There’s absolutely no question about that — I certainly want Jon Rahm on the next Ryder Cup team.”
Turns out, rewriting the rules wasn’t necessary. DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings made clear in the spring that a change to the regulations was not required, that LIV players who kept their DP World Tour membership and served the required suspensions and paid fines would be eligible to play in the Ryder Cup.
But as Jamie Corrigan of The Telegraph pointed out in a story last week, that also meant that the minimum event requirements — along with fines and suspensions — have to be met.
Tyrrell Hatton, who faces the same penalties, has appealed his sanctions, which effectively allowed him to play at the Betfred British Masters two weeks ago. Having played in Dubai earlier this year before joining LIV, Hatton needs just two more DP World starts to qualify. It appears that Hatton has simply delayed his fines and possible suspensions. Will Rahm?
Rahm needs to play three more DPWT tournaments. He’ll miss this week’s Irish Open and next week’s BMW PGA Championship due to his LIV commitments in Chicago and Dallas, the season-ending Team Championship.
Although the DP World Tour won a UK arbitration case in April 2023 which effectively rules that the tour is within its right to enforce its conflicting events rules via suspensions and fines, it has worked with players who want to compete in DP World Tour events.
The Telegraph story said that the DP World Tour would not be altering its rules for Rahm, who earlier this year at the British Open said his representatives were discussing the situation with tour officials.
“I’ve had many conversations with Jon,” European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald said at the British Masters. “He absolutely knows what the deal is. He knew when he signed for LIV what the policies were on the DP World Tour. You have to play your four. Per all the policies, he can pay the fines or he can appeal like some of the guys have, and that gives him the opportunity to do that.
“It’s really up to him to do that and become eligible. He certainly mentioned at the PGA Championship he was willing to do whatever it took to commit to me and the team. I hope that happens.”
Complicating matters is the fact that Rahm’s wife, Kelly, is pregnant and that she’s been confined to their home in Arizona. For Rahm to meet the requirements, not only does he need to play the Spanish Open in Madrid in two weeks, but add two other events such as the Dunhill Links Championship, the French Open or possibly the Andalucía Masters in Spain later in October. He is so far not eligible for the DP World Tour’s season-ending two-event playoff series in the Middle East.
“The guys on LIV do get the opportunity to represent Europe,” Justin Rose told Sky Sports. “It think there is a structure in place, the European (DP World) tour has its rules and regulations, if they play in a conflicting event, they accrue a fine and if they pay the fine, they’re eligible to play. So I think there is a fair pathway for everybody to be part of the team.”
After signing for huge money with LIV last year, Rahm certainly has the wherewithal to endure fines, no matter how prohibitive. He’s in line to earn a minimum of $7 million in bonus money at this week’s LIV Chicago event as he battles only with Joaquin Niemann for the individual season points title worth $18 million to the winner.
Will the DP World Tour bend the rules for him? Will he appeal?
Perhaps some answers will be forthcoming soon.
The Lido Golf Club at Sand Valley (Courtesy Sand Valley)
What Alex learned: ’Tis better to play
By Alex Miceli
I probably already knew this, but it didn’t hurt to have a refresher course — playing golf is a lot more fun than watching golf, no matter how poorly I play.
This comes from a trip to Sand Valley, where I played The Lido course, a recreation of the bygone C.B. Macdonald course on Long Island.