Jon Rahm has launched a passionate defense of his refusal to agree to conditions set out by the DP World Tour recently that allowed eight LIV Golf members to play both tours freely without fines.
MORE: Rory McIlroy doesn’t believe LIV will sign someone ‘who moves the needle’
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Speaking at LIV Golf Hong Kong, which starts Thursday, two-time major winner Rahm explained why he didn’t agree to the conditional releases given to Tyrrell Hatton, Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie for the 2026 season.
Rahm, ranked 54th in the world, was a notable omission from those who received conditional releases, which allow Hatton and Co. to compete this year in LIV Golf tournaments whose dates conflict with DP World Tour events. The conditional releases came under three stipulations: that they pay all outstanding fines, participate in a set number of DP World Tour events (along with associated media activity and promotion) and withdraw all pending appeals.
On Tuesday, Rahm reiterated his opposition to the criteria.
“I don’t know what game they’re [DP World Tour] trying to play right now,” he said, “but it just seems like in a way … they’re using our impact in tournaments and fining us and trying to benefit both ways from what we have to offer. It’s just in a way they’re extorting players like myself, and young players that have nothing to do with the politics of the game. So I don’t like the situation and I’m not going to agree to that.”
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Not every high-profile DP World Tour member would agree. In Dubai in January, Rahm’s Ryder Cup European teammate and PGA Tour player, Rory McIlroy, argued that any DP World Tour member who played on LIV Golf knew there were rules for playing in conflicting events.
“I think any … members’ organization like this has a right to uphold its rules and regulations,” McIlroy said. “And what the DP World Tour are doing is upholding their rules and regulations and we, as members, sign a document at the start of every year, which has you agree to these rules and regulations, and the people that made the option to go to LIV knew what they were.”
Rahm, 31, said he was particularly frustrated with the minimum six DP World Tour stops he’d need to meet for the requirements that are in addition to 14 LIV events and four majors. DP World Tour members need to play four events to maintain membership, which is also a requirement for eligibility on the European Ryder Cup team. If Rahm is suspended for not meeting the DPT’s requirements, his hopes to play in the 2027 Cup would be in danger.
“I don’t like what they’re doing currently with the contract they’re having us sign; I don’t like the conditions,” Rahm said. “They’re asking me to play a minimum of six events, and they dictate where two of those have to be, amongst other things that I don’t agree with.”
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Rahm, who won last year’s individual season LIV title despite not having a victory, indicated his four events would come during the DP World Tour’s fall schedule through continental Europe. That run includes the Omega European Masters, Irish Open, BMW PGA at Wentworth, French Open, Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the Spanish Open.
He later added: “Now, I did tell them, funny enough, lower that to four events, like the minimum says, and I’ll sign tonight. They haven’t agreed to that. I just refuse to play six events. I don’t want to, and that’s not what the rules say.”
For the conditional releases, there was the issue of paying DP World Tour fines. Golf Digest understands Rahm’s fines are less than $2.5 million. McIlroy recently made a public plea to both Rahm and Hatton last month to take the deal.
“We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup,” McIlroy said in January. “We also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups. There’s two guys that can prove it.”
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On McIlroy’s comments, Rahm said, “That statement would make a lot more sense if all 12 of us were being asked to pay, not only just the two of us,” Rahm said Tuesday. “There’s more intricacy that goes into this whole situation. While I understand why he’s saying that, we all do it for the love of the game; it’s a different situation than what we usually see.
“I’ll gladly pay my way to go on the Ryder Cup, not have to pay to still be a member of the DP World Tour and fulfill a commitment that I’m fully willing to commit.”
Golf Digest understands Rahms options are to agree to the conditions or pay further fines for competing in conflicting events. Rahm can also await a hearing.
Of the time spent on the issue, Rahm said, “Given also the fact that two years ago I was asked to appeal the fines so they could figure this out and sort it out, and I did, and we’re running into more problems right now.”
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