Jon Rahm is willing to play in the required number of DP World Tour events to remain eligible to participate in next year’s Ryder Cup taking place on Long Island.
But paying the fine associated with having played in conflicting LIV Golf events seems to be the line that Rahm isn’t willing to cross.
Rahm told reporters on Wednesday during a press conference ahead of the LIV Golf Chicago event taking place this week that he was registered for the Spanish Open on the DP World Tour and planned to play in two other events to reach the requirement for Ryder Cup eligibility.
Whether the DP Tour lets him is another story since Rahm has yet to pay fines related to participating in LIV Golf without a conflicting-event release.
“I’m entered into the tournament. We entered a long time ago,” Rahm said. “Whether they let me play or not is a different thing. I’m not a big fan of the fines. 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 them 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.”
Rahm noted that he also wanted to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews in Scotland in early October and the Andalucia Masters at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande in Spain later in the month.
The DP World Tour told Sports Illustrated in a statement that Rahm and his representatives were aware of the rules and that he “is ineligible to play in a DP World Tour event” until his sanctions are paid.
The push to play those tournaments is part of Rahm’s bid to maintain his DP World Tour membership to remain eligible for the Ryder Cup.
In order to do so, he must play in four events this year aside from major championships – the Olympic golf tournament counts as one – and if he failed to do so he wouldn’t be able to play at the Europen vs. United States golf showdown at Bethpage Black.
During a sitdown with The Post last month ahead of the tennis U.S. Open in Queens, Rahm spoke glowingly about the famed Long Island golf course and hopes to be able to participate in the Ryder Cup next September.
“It’s something so special,” Rahm said during a chat at a swanky NYC hotel. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to be absolutely incredible. And hopefully, I can be a part of the team.”
As for the course, he called the site of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open a “monster.”
Even if Rahm remains eligible for the Ryder Cup, he would possibly need Luke Donald, the European team captain, to use one of his six captain’s picks on him.
Rahm’s Legion XIII team is second in LIV Golf’s team standing behind only Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC squad.
The team championship will take place next week in Texas.
