Editor’s note: “In case you missed it” is one GGP+ function that highlights a story Global Golf Post’s Monday magazine.
There’s an argument that can be made, though Bryson DeChambeau can make a strong counterclaim, which is that of all the players who left the PGA Tour for the riches of LIV Golf, Jon Rahm is the one who is missed the most.
Not only is Rahm one of the best players of his generation, with two major championship trophies to prove it, his presence is huge. While DeChambeau has cultivated his brand online and by embracing the semi-manufacture of being the people’s champion, Rahm exudes both a simmering intensity and a heavy gravitas.
Rahm and DeChambeau are as different as chocolate and vanilla. And in a supposedly revolutionary competition that has yet to spark a revolution, these are the two main reasons why LIV Golf continues, dripping, dripping, dripping down the seemingly bottomless bottom line of the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
When Rahm sent a shiver through the golf world by accepting LIV’s huge offer nearly two years ago, he had to believe his move would be the trigger for resolving the PGA Tour-LIV war. Instead, it only brought him generational wealth while blowing a hole in his ultimate legacy.
Rahm recently made headlines when he announced he will not compete again before LIV Golf’s 2026 season begins in Saudi Arabia in February, the longest break of his professional career.
“I’ve never had three months off before, but I’m looking forward to it,” Rahm told Spanish reporters after the Open de España. “Other athletes have it, and we’ll see. I’m lucky that I can go home now, have a preseason, be a father, be with my family. And well, if I see that it’s too much, I might not do it again next year, but I’m looking forward to it.”
A real outdoor season – what a concept. The PGA Tour could be moving in that direction and that would be a very good thing. Give fans time to miss tournament golf.
The background to Rahm’s story extends beyond his nearly four-month sabbatical. The question of his eligibility for the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland remains unanswered and while the victorious Europeans can still hear the choruses of ‘Olé, Olé, Olé’ ringing in their ears, retaining the Cup at Adare Manor is the next order of business.
It’s hard to imagine a European Ryder Cup team without Rahm (and his friend Tyrrell Hatton), but the event went ahead without Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter as they headed to LIV. It also happened without Sergio García at Bethpage Black, but after doing what was asked to be eligible, the state of Sergio’s game sidelined him.
Players who left knew what was coming (or they should have) and left anyway. It is only right that they pay the required restitution, as García did earlier this year.
At issue is Rahm’s refusal to pay fines imposed by the DP World Tour, a bill that increases by six figures every time he scores a goal in an LIV event. Rahm (and Hatton) steadfastly refuses to pay these fines and LIV Golf is no longer willing to pay those fines for its players.
The DP World Tour has since gone to court and successfully defended its right to set the rules, including banning players who have not paid their fines. Players who left knew what was coming (or they should have) and left anyway. It is only right that they pay the required restitution, as García did earlier this year.
Rahm, who played the minimum number of events to qualify for the DP World Tour in 2026, apparently does not see it that way. He and Hatton only became eligible for the Ryder Cup last month because they appealed their fines and – how conveniently – the hearing was postponed for over a year until after the matches so that both remained eligible.
When Rahm was recently asked about the appeals process, he said he had “completely forgotten” about it and hopes to not think about it until the appeal is heard. Like that strange noise your car makes; ignoring it doesn’t mean it goes away.
At some point, barring an unlikely negotiated settlement, Rahm’s appeal will be heard and if it goes against him, what then?
Rahm is at the heart of the brilliance of the European Ryder Cup. Although it’s impossible to quantify, there is an undeniable camaraderie and shared passion that pulses through the European side and, like Spaniards Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal and García before him, Rahm is fanning the flames.
The Ryder Cup will be played in Spain in 2031 and Rahm wants and needs to be part of it, something he recently addressed in his home country.
“The most emotional and special thing was the Ryder Cup,” Rahm said. “The only week that has a chance to match this Ryder Cup on an emotional level will be the Spanish Ryder Cup in 2031 (at Camiral in Barcelona). It would be special, but as tough as the New York Ryder Cup was and ultimately won, I find it difficult to match another week.”
The simple solution would be for Rahm to pay what he owes – he can undoubtedly afford it – and move on. However, that seems unlikely.
Is he stubborn? Probably.
Does it stand on perceived principles? That’s likely.
Will he give in? Doesn’t sound like it.
Will the DP World Tour blink and accommodate both Rahm and Hatton, knowing what they mean to the Ryder Cup? It would reflect weakness.
Could the appeal be prioritized and go in Rahm’s favor? Maybe.
It seems difficult for both parties to imagine that Rahm will not be part of the 2027 Ryder Cup team.
The more difficult part may be determining how both parties can feel comfortable making sure that happens.
© 2025 Global Golf Post LLC
#Rahm #World #Wins