Jon Rahm has filed an appeal against the DP World Tour's ban from playing in the LIV Golf League, allowing him to play in the Spanish Open and other events on the European circuit until the independent group decides whether to pay him. fines.
Rahm's formal appeal was an important step because it allowed him to reach the minimum DP World Tour level required to be considered for next year's Ryder Cup.
Rahm joined the Saudi-sponsored league late last year for a signing bonus reportedly in excess of $300 million.
The other players who defected from LIV Golf, Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk, are facing a similar request and have been allowed to compete as the process continues. There
Hatton played the Betfred British Masters two weeks ago and he and Rahm entered the Spanish Open, Dunhill Links Championship and Andalucia Masters. That would give Rahm a fourth start because the Olympics count for less.
“I don't intend to pay the fine”
Rahm strongly opposes being fined for playing LIV events against tournaments he has never played or had no intention of playing. Among the DP World Tour events against LIV Golf this year were stops in Bahrain, South Africa, Japan, China and the Czech Republic.
“I don't intend to pay the fines, and we're continuing to try to negotiate with them on how we can do this,” said Rahm, who won $22 million Sunday after winning LIV Golf Chicago and the season-long champion. the subject.
The appeals process is the same as when several members of the DP World Tour first joined LIV Golf in 2022. An independent panel, Sport Resolutions, ruled in April 2023 that the players had breached a strict rule and that the DP World Tour was within its rights to sanction. For those reasons it seems unlikely that Hatton and Rahm's appeal will be treated differently.
However, like many of the current LIV golfers who have aspirations of playing in the 2025 Ryder Cup, Rahm will be hoping that the golf scene will have changed before next September's games at Bethpage Black. Executives with the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia met last week in New York to continue discussions about PIF becoming a minority investor in PGA Tour Enterprises and what that would mean for players on both sides.
“I'm glad Jon decided to appeal, and he can play the events he wants to play in and qualify,” said European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald when asked about the problem. “I know the Ryder Cup means a lot to him, and I'm sure that had a big impact on his decision.
“He has his own thoughts and does not agree with fines and paying fines, especially for events he has never played on the DP World Tour. But those are the rules, and they were there when he signed with LIV. “
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