“I don’t know if I’ll be able to play” - LIV star Jon Rahm says he hasn’t paid the fines following suspension from DP World Tour
Jon Rahm could be in danger of missing the 2025 Ryder Cup because he could lose his DP World Tour card. The Spaniard has revealed that he has yet to pay the fines levied by the Tour since his move to LIV Golf.
Rahm answered questions on the subject during his pre-Open Championship press conference at Royal Troon on Tuesday. The Spaniard assured that he is still in talks with the DP World Tour, and that he has not paid the fines yet because he is not sure when he will be able to play next in a European Tour event.
"We're still in conversations with the Tour...I haven't been able to play any Tour events, so yeah, we're going to have to sort it out... I haven't paid [fines] yet, but again, I just don't know when I'm going to play," Jon Rahm said (via The Mirror).
He added:
"I want to tee it up hopefully at the Spanish Open. At this point, I'm still waiting on what might happen with my wife and daughter. I don't know if I'll be able to play or not. So my fall is still a little bit of a question mark when it comes to playing golf."
Unlike the American team, all members of the European Ryder Cup team must be on the DP World Tour. Jon Rahm secured his tour card for the current season, but he could lose it next year for violating the rules of tournament participation.
This rule violation carries with it fines that Jon Rahm would have to pay if he wants to keep his card. It is not yet known how much Rahm would have to pay, but his compatriot Sergio Garcia had to pay a fine of more than $900,000 when he was in a similar situation.
A closer look at Jon Rahm's violation of DP World Tour rules
DP World Tour rules state that its members must request a release to play in tournaments on other tours when they coincide with European Tour events. If the release is not granted, the player cannot play on the other tour.
If a player violates this rule, the circuit may impose fines of up to $100,000. The fines are accompanied by suspensions of up to eight tournaments.
Jon Rahm and the rest of the DP World Tour players who play LIV Golf events (most notably Tyrrell Hatton), must pay the tour's fine for each tournament they miss.
Rahm and Hatton have played 10 LIV Golf events, and most of them have coincided with DP World Tour events.
There is another rule that Rahm must abide by, which is to play in at least four DP World Tour events during the season. Failure to meet this minimum could also result in him losing his Tour card.