Jon Rahm appears on course to deliver a hammer blow to Team Europe’s hopes at the 2025 Ryder Cup. The two-time major champion rocked the sport last December when he joined LIV Golf,with his move to the Saudi backed tour reportedly worth £266million.
Like all rebel players, Rahm’s move subjected him to sanctions, and he duly received suspensions from the DP World Tour and was issued fines.
The 29-year-old had still signalled his intentions to play in the team event at Bethpage next September, and initially planned to play this month at the Spanish Open, his first DP World Tour event since his explosive move.
However, ahead of being involved in the LIV Golf Chicago event this weekend, he has not confirmed that he has settled the fines with the DP World Tour or appealed against the sanctions.
And he has not been announced as an entrant in the Madrid tournament yet. Unless the regulations are altered, Rahm cannot be an active member of the DP World Tour next season unless he makes four event starts this season and settles up financially.
Back at The Open in July, Rahm admitted he was yet to pay up but claimed negotiations were ongoing. “We’re still in conversations with the tour. I haven’t been able to play any tour events, so yeah we’re going to have to be able to sort it out before I hopefully tee it up at the Spanish Open.”
As a further complication, Rahm’s wife Kelley Cahill is currently expecting the couple’s third child, a notion he said would affect his schedule. “So, I’m still waiting on what will happen with my wife and daughter,” he added. “So I don’t know if I’ll be able to play or not, I just can’t say. So it’s my fault that there’s still a bit of a question mark when it comes to me playing golf.”
The former world No.1 has played just one counting event this year – the 2024 Paris Olympics. As it stands, he will be unavailable for selection to Team Europe captain Luke Donald.
The event in Spain gets underway on September 26, with Rahm also scheduled to play a LIV Golf tournament in Dallas before that. And the current obstacles in front of the star now make it unlikely he will be abale to adhere to the necessary criteria.
That’s despite him being the last European player to win a major, at the 2023 US Masters. Despite being a vociferous critic of LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy has called on the tour to ensure Rahm can be selected.
Indeed, Rahm was also one of the heroes in Rome when the hosts regained the trophy last year. He took three points from four matches as the European team won 16.5–11.5 overall, having previously been involved in the event in 2018 and 2021.
DP World Tour sanctions are based on individual cases, with fines ranging from £12,500 to £100,000 for each breach and a suspension of up to eight tournaments. Ryder Cup icons like Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia have already been affected by the ruling.
