Rory McIlroy gets support as pressure grows for rival to be slapped with huge bill
Jon Rahm's Ryder Cup participation remains uncertain as world No. 2 Rory McIlroy and 13-time PGA Tour winner Justin Rose both agree that he should settle his fines. Rahm was not among the eight players to sign a conditional release with the DP World Tour following his switch to LIV Golf.
The two-time major championdisagreed with the contract and took issue with how the European circuit would determine two of the six events he was required to play.
Rahm must maintain membership of the DP World Tour to compete in the 2027 Ryder Cup and still owes $3million (£2.24m) in fines he previously said he has no intention of paying to the circuit. Rose, the world No. 5 and Rahm's 2025 Ryder Cup team-mate, believes Rahm should agree to the deal and guarantee his Ryder Cup future.
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"Yeah, listen, I would like to see Jon - how many guys, eight?" Justin said, referring to the eight LIV golfers that signed the conditional release contract.
"The other seven did it. So obviously eight did it and Jon didn't. So I mean, there's pretty decent precedent that the deal wasn't outrageous that they were proposing.
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"But at the same time, I would like to see Jon pay his fines for sure and be a part of the Ryder Cup. For me, obviously playing on LIV was a decision that he made and wanted to make and fair play to him for making it and good for him. He's playing good golf out there. He's winning. He's making a lot of money, and he's, you know, you can't argue, can't knock what he's been able to achieve out there.
"So I would just see it as a cost of doing business for Jon. Like for me, being in the Ryder Cup is more than about money. What I would say, where he may have a point is the Tour making him play extra events. Maybe he has a point there. So maybe there's some middle ground where he would do his best to support the Tour as and when but not necessarily have that hung over his head. But paying his fines is obviously step No. 1."
The DP World Tour granted releases to Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie to compete in the LIV Golf League this season.
McIlroy had felt the same regarding Rahm when asked about the matter last week. He said at the Arnold Palmer Invitational: "Yeah, I mean I, geez, in my opinion, it's a really generous deal.
"Like it's a much softer deal than what Brooks took to come back and play on the PGA tour. Look, the European Tour can only do so much to accommodate these guys. So, you know, if you want to play on the Ryder Cup you have to be a member of the DP World Tour.
"You have to be a member of the DP World Tour, you have to abide by the rules and regulations. And the rules and regulations were, okay, if you break the media rights agreement and you go and play in a conflicting event, you don't get a release, you're subject to fines. So the guys didn't want to pay these fines, that's fine.
"So then the European Tour said, okay, let's try to come up with some sort of solution where you don't have to pay the fines, so that we can ease that burden on you, but still retain your membership. And I, look, there's a reason eight of the nine guys took that deal, right. I think it's a really good deal.
"Yeah, obviously Jon doesn't think so and he's obviously well within his rights to think that way. But I just don't see what more the European Tour can do to accommodate these guys to retain their membership."