The DP World Tour says LIV players would have to assume a significant financial penalty to play in the Ryder Cup
Jon Rahm finished the LIV Adelaide in third position and is a little closer to a victory that still evades him on the 54-hole circuit, but he might be handling a bigger problem instead as the new CEO of the DP European Tour insists LIV players will be fined if they want to play in the Ryder Cup.
Guy Kinnings, the newly appointed executive director of the DP World Tour (DPWT), has explained the situation of Jon Rahm for the next Ryder Cup, along with other LIV players, which will take place in September 2025 at the New York course of Bethpage.
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“If we look at the eligibility criteria for 2023,” Kinnings said to media. “I think there has been a slight misunderstanding. The reality is that, under the current system, if a player is European and is a member of the DP World Tour and complies with the current rules, he is eligible.
“If he does not get that release, he will have sanctions (economic and sporting), so the player must accept those sanctions. And if he accepts the sanctions, there is no reason why a player who has become a member of LIV and has maintained his DP World Tour membership cannot either qualify [like Koepka last year on the US team] or be available for selection.
“It is a mistake to think that Jon Rahm has been excluded from the Ryder Cup,” Kinnings added. “People [Rory McIlroy] immediately thought we would have to change the rules, but in reality, we don’t have to. If Jon follows the procedures in place, there is no reason why he would not be eligible for the 2025 Ryder Cup.”
As of today, the PIF (Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia) and the PGA Tour/DPWT are still negotiating an agreement that would bring true peace to the world of golf and even propitiate the entry of the LIV players in the world ranking.
The latter, something that would open a door for its members to be able to compete in the majors and the Ryder Cup too. But in case this door remains closed, Kinnings has explained that Rahm still has the same entry requirements to dispute the Ryder Cup.
Another nuance that Kinnings made, is that the Lion of Barrika has to serve a sanction tournament, although in this sense the problem seems minor…
“It is likely that Jon will have to serve a suspension,” Kinnings continued. “And if he does, he will be eligible to play in the next Ryder Cup.
“He doesn’t actually have to play in a subsequent DP World Tour event to serve that suspension. He would be suspended from an event even if he’s not going to participate.”
Kinnings‘ words seem benevolent, but nothing could be further from the truth, as the financial penalty applicable to LIV players who want to play in the Ryder Cup will be astronomical as long as an agreement is not reached before 2025.
So, for Rahm, Sergio Garcia or Tyrrell Hatton, to be eligible to play in the next Ryder Cup they can enter via ranking -which is very complicated without playing Asian Tour tournaments or to remain a member of the World Tour and play at least four tournaments and request to be released for each LIV event they play.
It should be emphasized here that, as Golf Digest reports, Rahm has asked to be released for every LIV tournament he has played, but his requests have always been denied, so every tournament means a sanction for him.
This does not happen if a DPWT member player asks to play a PGA Tour tournament, as the latter are investors and commercial partners. Kinnings spoke specifically about the case of ‘Rahmbo’ too.