Rory McIlroy has a fitting solution to LIV stars’ $6 million Ryder Cup problem

Luke Donald’s opening speech at the 2025 Ryder Cup was a lot. Subtle wasn’t one of them.

“It’s not about prize money or world rankings – it’s about pride,” Donald said from the stage at Bethpage Black. “It’s about representing your flag, your shirts and the legacy you leave behind.”

And he wasn’t done there yet.

“We are fueled by something that money cannot buy,” Donald said. “Purpose, brotherhood and a responsibility to honor those who came before us, while inspiring those whose time is yet to come.”

In the opening moments of that Bethpage Ryder Cup, Donald made the European position on the issue clear: Money would not be at the center of the European Ryder Cup issue. Unlike the Americans, who endured two years of controversy over the issue of player wages in the Ryder Cup, the Euros maintained their long-standing position that they pay for the right to play in the Ryder Cup.

Now, just months later, Rory McIlroy has a message for a handful of his fellow Ryder Cup teammates: why not put your money where your mouth is?

McIlroy’s message in Dubai on Wednesday morning was addressed to two key LIV participants, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, whose participation in the Ryder Cup has been questioned. The issue at the heart of Rahm and Hatton’s Ryder Cup status revolves around freedom of work. Rahm and Hatton believe they can join any professional tour they want without penalty, even if they are competitors; however, the rule books of the DP World Tour and PGA Tour differ. Under the statutes, players competing on rival tours are subject to fines, and players with outstanding fines are ineligible to participate in the Ryder Cup.

In 2025, Hatton and Rahm won a small victory: a suspension of their fines while they waited for a final ruling on their appeal to have those fines dropped. Given the timing, both golfers were allowed to compete at Bethpage, provided they played the minimum number of events to maintain DP World Tour membership.

But now, in 2026, those fines remain a problem. With a verdict expected later this year, both golfers face a daunting task: pay the fines or argue for a rule change to circumvent them. On GOLFs Substandard podcast, Rahm indicated that his fines alone totaled more than $3 million — and given the timing of Hatton’s departure, Hatton’s are likely in a similar neighborhood. Call it $6 million all in, give or take.

“Do I think fines will magically disappear?” Rahm said. “I don’t think so. But I think that will slowly disappear. I know it is between one and one and a half million per year.”

From now on, the only way for Rahm and Hatton to qualify for the Ryder Cup is for both players to pay their fines – and that is exactly what McIlroy has advocated for the two LIV Ryder Cup stars.

There is little doubt that Rahm and Hatton have the financial resources to pay off even a hefty DP World Tour fine. Rahm has made $76 million in two years at LIV, while Hatton has made more than $22 million – and that’s not including the signing bonuses both players received for making the jump. (Rahm’s signing bonus is estimated at more than $200 million, while Hatton’s is reportedly around $60 million.)

But there is also little doubt that Rahm and Hatton’s payments would mark a curious twist in the Ryder Cup payments saga, should they materialize. Following the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, which sparked a lengthy debate over US players’ pay, Rahm and Hatton’s fines would amount to a forfeiture of more than 10 times salary. datum to every American player by 2025. The two LIVers would essentially buy the high ground for the European side for good.

But that high position comes with high costs.