Former LIV Golfer appeals to let Jon Rahm compete in the DP World Tour, lists problem caused by his absence
On Wednesday, Jon Rahm announced his plan to compete in three upcoming DP World Tour events. The Spaniard said that he will compete in competitions, including his home Spanish Open, later this month to try and qualify for the 2025 Ryder Cup. It's pertinent to note that the LIV Golfer’s eligibility for the team event remains uncertain due to sanctions passed on him by European circuit officials.
While the golf world is divided over Rahm’s Ryder Cup situation, former LIV player and current DP World Tour star Pablo Larrazabal has come out to back his fellow Spaniard. The 41-year-old, who dubbed himself part of ‘team Jon,’ appealed to let Rahm compete in the Spanish Open and the Ryder Cup for ‘the sake of the two tournaments.’
The nine-time European Tour winner said that the demand for the Open in Spain will plunge, as fans will avoid the competition without Rahm. Resharing Jon Rahm’s recent comments, Pablo Larrazabal wrote on X (translated from Spanish):
“For the sake of the two tournaments we have in Spain, I hope it gets resolved and we can compete against Jon… if not, the prizes will go down, not as many people will come and with the possibility that we will lose one of the two soon … a shame. I, always team Jon.”
With the comments, Larrazabal joined several other European golfers including Shane Lowry who’s voiced interest in letting Jon Rahm play in the Ryder Cup. The 2023 Masters winner’s eligibility scenario for the international scenario remains uncertain.
Jon Rahm to attempt Ryder Cup qualification without paying the fines
Jon Rahm revealed his plan to qualify for the 2025 Ryder Cup in Bethpage. Speaking to reporters ahead of LIV Golf Chicago, the Spaniard said he’ll compete in the upcoming Spanish Open, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the Andalucia Masters to attempt qualification for the US vs European event in Bethpage.
It's pertinent to note that golfers like Rahm, who defected to LIV Golf, were sanctioned by the DP World Tour. According to the rules, the golfer needs to compete in four European events - with the Olympics counting as one - to be eligible for the Ryder Cup team’s automatic selection.
Notably, Rahm is yet to pay the $1.7 million fines placed on him by the European circuit. The 29-year-old golfer remains positive despite having no intention to pay the fine. Jon Rahm said on Wednesday:
“Whether they (DP World Tour) let me play or not is a different thing. I’m not a big fan of the fines. ... I don’t intend to pay the fines, and we keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen. … 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 (the Andalucia Masters) in Sotogrande.”
Interestingly, Rahm also made a similar point to Pablo Larrazabal by saying that the European circuit officials were doing a ‘disservice’ to Spanish golf by not letting him play.