Rahm says European tour is ‘extorting’ LIV players by making them play more events to rejoin tour
Jon Rahm tore into the European tour Tuesday over its offer for him and other LIV Golf players to rejoin, claiming the tour was “extorting players” by forcing them to play additional tournaments.
Rahm, competing this week in LIV Golf Hong Kong, spoke publicly for the first time since the European tour announced a deal that would require LIV players to pay previous fines for not getting releases and to compete in additional events designated by the tour.
Eight players from LIV, including Tyrrell Hatton, accepted the deal. Rahm did not.
“I don’t know what game they’re trying to play right now,” Rahm said. “But it just seems like in a way they’re using our impact in tournaments and fining us and trying to benefit both ways from what we have to offer. In a way, they’re extorting players like myself and young players that have nothing to do with the politics of the game.
“So I don’t like the situation and I’m not going to agree to that.”
Players are required to play four tournaments, not including the majors, to keep membership on the European tour. Rahm said the deal would have required LIV members to play six tournaments.
“And they dictate where two of those have to be, among other things that I don’t agree with,” Rahm said. “I’ve been a dual member my whole career — PGA Tour and DP World Tour. … Never once have I been asked for a release to play either one of those tours. So why is it now that we need to be offering this and there’s all these penalties?
“I just don’t like the situation,” he said. “I think we should be able to freely play where we want and have the choice to play where we want and not be dictated what we do.”
The fines stem from playing LIV Golf events opposite European tour events without getting a conflicting-event release. Rahm was able to use the “home tour” policy on the PGA Tour to play in European tour events.
Rahm said he told the European tour — known as the DP World Tour commercially — that if it lowered the minimum requirement to four tournaments, he would sign the deal.
“They haven’t agreed to that,” he said. “I just refuse to play six events. I don’t want to, and that’s not what the rules say.”
Rahm and Hatton were among those who appealed their fines for playing LIV. That case has not been heard, but the appeal allowed them to play in the Ryder Cup last year at Bethpage Black.
Now the Spaniard’s participation in the 2027 matches in Ireland are in question.
An arbitrational panel in Britain, Sports Resolution, ruled in April 2023 the tour had the right to penalize players as a membership organization. If the panel rules in favor of the tour again, Rahm would be required to settle his fines or lose his membership, which would keep him off the Ryder Cup team next year.
Rory McIlroy said in January about the fines Rahm and Hatton were facing, “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. There’s two guys that can prove it.”
Rahm fired back by saying his comment would make more sense if all 12 players were asked to pay, not just him and Hatton.
“There’s more intricacy that goes into this whole situation,” Rahm said. “I’ll gladly pay my way to go on the Ryder Cup, not have to pay to still be a member of the DP World Tour and fulfill a commitment that I’m fully willing to commit.”
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