Jon Rahm’s Refusal to Pay DPWT Fines Clouds His Ryder Cup Future

Eight LIV Golf members have secured conditional releases from the DP World Tour—but one of the league’s biggest stars isn’t among them.

Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie agreed to the European circuit’s terms: pay all outstanding fines for breaching DP World Tour regulations, commit to additional events, fulfill media and promotional obligations, and withdraw any pending appeals.

Jon Rahm did not.

Rahm has long maintained he wouldn’t pay the fines—rumored to be in the neighborhood of $3 million—and that position hasn’t wavered.

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By meeting the DPWT’s requirements, the eight players are now cleared to compete in LIV events that directly clash with DPWT tournaments. The releases apply only to the 2026 season and do not set precedent.

Last month at the Dubai Desert Classic, Rory McIlroy publicly urged Rahm and Hatton to pay up—framing it as a matter of commitment to Team Europe and its pursuit of a Ryder Cup three-peat at Adare Manor in 2027.

“We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup, and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups,” McIlroy said. “There’s two guys that can prove it.”

Both were eligible to compete at Bethpage Black only because their appeals of the sanctions remained active. Hatton’s path to Ireland appears straightforward—provided he qualifies. Rahm’s is far less certain.