Jon Rahm looks increasingly unlikely to line up on Team Europe at the next Ryder Cup as he refuses to settle his DP World Tour fines.
The DP World Tour has given one-tournament bans and £100,000 financial penalties to members who compete in tournaments without a release.
While it is thought that Rahm has enough vacant weeks in his calendar to accommodate the one-week penalties, he appears disinterested in paying the fines.
“I’m not a big fan of the fines,” Rahm said from LIV Golf’s individual championship near Chicago.
“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 [the DPWT] 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 that point, it would almost be doing not only me but Spanish golf a disservice by not letting me play. So yeah, that’s why we’re trying to talk to them and make that happen. I would also love to play the Dunhill [Links Championship]. I have a good friend who asked me to play, and Johan has been a great, great ambassador for the game of golf. I would love to be able to play all those events.”
Rahm is now confronted with a scenario in which rules are rules. However, it is not absolutely hopeless.
Tyrrell Hatton, Rahm’s Legion 13 teammate, has faced the same battle but has been allowed to play without penalty because he has appealed the sanctions, taking advantage of a middle-ground, somewhat ambiguous stay-of-penalty that allowed Hatton to compete in the Betfred British Masters earlier this month.
The same thing will allow him to play the events Rahm is looking to enter later this month. However, Hatton has sought the relief of an appeal while Rahm has made no filings.
“I think it’s not only that I have to play those three, but I want to play those events,” Rahm said.
“They’re fun. My last experience at the Dunhill I didn’t play good, so maybe I’ll get a little bit of redemption, even though being the fourth week in a row after having a baby might be a little much, for Scottish weather especially and Carnoustie. But still looking forward to some really fun golf ahead.”
