Jon Rahm said Wednesday that he intends to play three more DP World Tour events by the end of the season in November to remain eligible for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Rahm said he has already signed up for the Spanish Open (Sept. 26-29) and also intends to play the Dunhill Links and Andalucia Masters, but he is not yet eligible to compete on that circuit because he’s refusing to pay the fines levied against him for playing in conflicting events. Rahm, who inked a multiyear deal with LIV that will reportedly pay him more than $300 million, said his representatives are in contact with DP World Tour officials on how to resolve the issue.
Rahm’s participation has been closely monitored because he needed to play four European tour events this season to be available for Luke Donald’s team next year, either as an automatic selection or one of his six captain’s picks. (The Olympics counted as one of the four events.) Donald has said that he did not intend to change the qualification rules to accommodate Rahm, one of Europe’s best players who went 2-0-2 last year while leading the home team to another victory.
“Whether they let me play or not is a different thing,” Rahm said. “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’ll keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen. …
“We entered those events, and I want to play. That’s my intent is to play.”
The DP World Tour has stated that unless those outstanding sanctions are resolved, Rahm is ineligible to compete on tour. Rahm could appeal the penalties, however, which is how Tyrrell Hatton, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and others were able to play European tour events over the past few years.
Prior to Rahm’s press conference Wednesday in Chicago, where he is vying for the LIV individual title, it wasn’t clear what the Spaniard’s immediate playing schedule would look like. Rahm had mentioned previously that his wife, Kelley, had endured a difficult pregnancy, but he said Wednesday that she’s “doing really good” and could deliver the couple’s third child by the end of the month.
Rahm said there’s a scenario where he could rush home for the birth of his daughter between LIV’s Team Championship in Dallas and the Spanish Open.
“I think right now, most likely if the baby doesn’t come early, we might try to induce right after Dallas,” he said. “It could be a case where I go home, deliver the baby, and then fly Tuesday or Wednesday to Madrid.”