Jon Rahm’s Ryder Cup plan hinges on slow appeal process

Jon Rahm didn’t mince words Tuesday when he spoke at Emirates Golf Club ahead of the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic. He aims to be a member of the European Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black this September.

Rahm’s intentions and wishes, of course could hit an obstacle Given the 30-year-old’s DP World Tour membership and the Spaniard’s Ryder Cup eligibility, his appeal against the fines and suspension he received last year is pending. As a reminder, LIV players receive a one-tournament ban and a £100,000 fine for each LIV tournament they play at the same time as DP World Tour events. But in the meantime, Rahm, Tyrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk all remain eligible to play on the DP World Tour until a third-party arbitrator issues a ruling on the legality of those sanctions. As such, all three will be eligible for European captain Luke Donald to be selected this autumn. If the case is heard before September, their Ryder Cup chances could disappear.

On Tuesday, Rahm, who does not intend to pay the fines, made a plea that the appeal not be heard before the Ryder Cup.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I can tell you my plan is to be on that team in Bethpage,” Rahm said.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen and I hope they don’t try to resolve the appeal before the Ryder Cup. I don’t think it would be good for anyone. But my plan is to be in Bethpage.”

Since this appeal is similar to a 2023 decisionwhich decreed the DP World Tour could fine and suspend LIV players, it’s reasonable to believe that Rahm’s appeal will ultimately meet the same fate.

DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings said in November he did not know when the session would take place and the league would not try to move it to accommodate Ryder Cup decisions.

The two-time major winner also took time on Tuesday to campaign for Sergio Garcia to be a member of the 2025 Ryder Cup team. Garcia paid his DP World Tour fines in November and plans to return to the European circuit at the Bahrain Championships at the end of the month.

Garcia is likely to rely on Donald’s captain’s choice to make his 11th Ryder Cup. Given LIV’s 14-week schedule and Garcia’s uncertain status outside of the Masters, it is unlikely that there will be enough opportunities for Europe’s all-time leader to qualify. But even if Garcia needs a captain, Rahm is convinced he should have a spot on the team.

“Sergio Garcia can hit it on the green better than anybody on the planet,” Rahm said Tuesday. “It’s that simple. He’s still that good and he’s still very valuable.

“I believe there is a place for Sergio there. I think there will be a place for Sergio in the Ryder Cup at any given time. It’s just a matter of time now, let the clubs talk.”

While Garcia is eligible to compete in the Ryder Cup, he cannot be captain or vice-captain unless DP World Tour changes one rule it was established in 2018 that prohibits any player who has resigned his membership from having a leadership role in the team room.

Rahm’s 2025 Ryder Cup fate awaiting a third-party arbitrator’s hearing is the perfect summary of the fractured state of men’s golf. Despite this, the former world no. 1 remains hopeful that the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) can reach an agreement that will unify the game.

“It’s hard to say at this point,” Rahm said when asked about the state of pro golf. “I think many of us would say that when that framework agreement was made more than a year and a half ago, things would have gone further at this point. And it’s really hard to know what goes on behind closed doors, isn’t it? It depends on people much higher than me.

“I don’t know what their vision is or what they expect from him, right? I think a lot of us want some sort of solution to come together and get the best possible product for the consumer, which I think we’re still able to do. … But we’re in that position nowadays to put golf on a higher level, and I hope that happens.”

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