McIlroy says it’s a ‘shame’ Rahm rejected European tour deal

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Rory McIlroy said it’s “a shame” that Jon Rahm is the only golfer from LIV Golf who’s unwilling to accept the terms of a European tour deal that would eliminate future fines, while brushing off concerns Rahm might not be eligible for the Ryder Cup team.

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On Wednesday, McIlroy said the “Ryder Cup is bigger than any one person.”

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Rahm refused the terms of the European tour offer — which would pay previous fines for not getting a release to compete at LIV Golf events, drop any appeals and add two extra tournaments to the minimum four required for European tour membership. The refusal places Rahm’s future in the matches in doubt.

During the LIV Golf Hong Kong event on Tuesday, Rahm said the deal, known commercially as the DP World Tour, was “extorting players” by forcing them to play two more tournaments.

Rahm said he would’ve signed if the deal was to pay fines, drop appeals and play the minimum four events.

“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.”

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Currently, Tyrrell Hatton and seven other Europeans who play for LIV Golf have agreed to the conditions.

The European tour would help decide which tournaments to play, an effort to boost them on the schedule.

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‘Much softer’ deal

McIlroy said the European tour deal is “really generous” and believed it was “much softer” than what the PGA Tour required of Brooks Koepka to return.

Koepka had to fork over $5 million to charity, was ineligible for PGA Tour equity shares for five years and didn’t have access to FedEx Cup bonus money this year, in order to return. Koepkac could not play in the $20 million signature events unless he qualified for them.

McIlroy said the European tour can only do so much to accommodate these guys.”

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“If you want to play on the Ryder Cup you have to be a member of the DP World Tour. … You have to abide by the rules and regulations,” he said, stating the rules meant being subject to fines if players don’t get a release to play LIV Golf events when the European tour has a tournament that week.

The European deal would end fine for LIV Golf players, which McIlroy argued was a “really good deal,” stating he doesn’t see “what more the European tour can do to accommodate these guys to retain their membership.”

“Yeah, obviously Jon doesn’t think so, and he’s obviously well within his right to think that way,” said McIlroy.

Regarding the European tour having say in what additional tournaments to play, McIlroy took a jab at Rahm, saying, “I’m sure Jon doesn’t want to go to South Africa next week” for a LIV Golf event.

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LIV players are contracted to play every event on its schedule instead of going elsewhere. As an example, Graeme McDowell would not have been excused to compete in the Irish Open when LIV Golf played in Oregon the same week in 2022.

McIlroy said there’s a reason why eight of the nine LIV players to the European tour deal, “because they probably think the same thing.”

“And one guy thinks a little differently, and that’s a shame,” he said, referring to Rahm.

Rahm has been on Ryder Cup team since debut

McIlroy said he hasn’t talked to Rahm yet, but he knows the player has his reasons.

“But I look forward to catching up with him and really hope that he’s available,” said McIlroy.

Rahm has been on every Ryder Cup team since his 2018 debut.

Barring a change of mind, Rahm’s future with Europe will depend on a UK arbitration panel that is hearing his appeals.

In 2023, the panel ruled in favour of the European tour that it had the right to impose fines as a membership organization. It also ruled in the tour’s favour in the Rahm case, and his membership and Ryder Cup eligibility would be at risk.

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