Luke Donald’s opening speech from the 2025 Ryder Cup was many things. fragile was not one of them.
“It’s not about prize money or world ranking points – it’s about pride.” said Donald from the dais at Bethpage Black. “It’s about representing your flag, your shirts and the legacy you’ve left behind.”
And he didn’t stop there.
“We’re fueled by something that money can’t buy,” Donald said. “Purpose, brotherhood and responsibility to honor those who came before us, while inspiring those whose time has not yet come.”
At the start of that Bethpage Ryder Cup, Donald made the European position on the matter clear: money it would not be the main part of the European Ryder Cup affair. Unlike the Americans, who endured two years of controversy on the issue of paying players in the Ryder Cup, the Euros held their long position that they would i pay for the right to play in the Ryder Cup.
Now, just months later, Rory McIlroy has a message for a handful of his Ryder Cup teammates: Why not put your money where your mouth is?
McIlroy’s message on Wednesday morning in Dubai was directed at LIV’s two top contenders, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, whose Ryder Cup eligibility has been called into question. The issue at the heart of Rahm and Hatton’s Ryder Cup status centers around employment freedom. Rahm and Hatton believe they should be allowed to compete in any professional tournament they wish without penalty, even if those tournaments are competitive; The DP World Tour and PGA Tour rulebooks, however, beg to differ. Under the bylaws, players competing in rival tournaments are subject to fines, and players with outstanding fines are ineligible to compete in the Ryder Cup.
In 2025, Hatton and Rahm won a small victory: a stay on their fines while they awaited a final decision on their appeal to have those fines thrown out. Given the timing, both players were allowed to compete in 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 decision expected later this year, both players face a tricky binary: pay the fines, or advocate for a rule change to avoid them. ACTIvE GOLF subparagraph podcastRahm indicated that his fines alone were over $3 million — and given the timing of Hatton’s departure, it’s likely that Hatton is in a similar neighborhood. Call it $6 million all up, give or take.
“Do I think the fines will magically disappear?” Rahm said. “I don’t think so. But I think it’s going to slowly go away. I know it’s between a million and a half million a year.”
Until now, the only way for Rahm and Hatton to earn Ryder Cup eligibility would be for both players to pay their fines – and that’s exactly what McIlroy has advocated for the two LIV Ryder Cup stars to do.
“Look, that’s my opinion,” McIlroy said at the Dubai Desert Classic. “We pushed hard with the Americans to get paid to play in the Ryder Cup, and we also said we would pay to play in Ryder Cups. There are two guys who can prove that. Very good.”
There is no doubt that Rahm and Hatton have the financial means to pay even a hefty DP World Tour fine. Rahm has earned $76 million in two years at LIV, while Hatton has earned more than $22 million — and that’s NO including the signing bonuses both players received for making the jump. (Rahm’s signing bonus is estimated to be more than $200 million, while Hatton’s is reported to be around $60 million.)
But there is also little doubt that Rahm and Hatton’s payouts would mark a curious twist in the Ryder Cup payout saga, if they come to fruition. After the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, which sparked a protracted debate over American players’ pay, Rahm and Hatton’s fines would amount to a forfeiture of more than 10 times their salary CLUE for every American player in 2025. The two livers would be, in essence, forever buying the high ground for the European side.
But this high point comes at a high cost.
