'The Ryder Cup Is Bigger Than Just The Match' - Padraig Harrington Has His Say On Jon Rahm Eligibility

Former Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington insists Jon Rahm needs to adhere to the current rules to earn his place in Luke Donald's 2025 side - for the good of the entire event.

Rahm is looking to play his minimum of four DP World Tour events in order to be eligible to play in the 2025 Ryder Cup in New York next year - but says he will not pay the fines issued after his switch to LIV Golf.

Tyrrell Hatton is in a similar position but has appealed against his fines, meaning he can play while that appeal is heard, but Rahm as yet has not - saying he wants to sort the situation out directly with the DP World Tour.

It looks like it could end in a stand-off between the two and, although Rory McIlroy has said the rules needed to be altered to allow Rahm to play in the Ryder Cup, Harrington has joined current skipper Donald in his belief that the rules need to be upheld.

"If anybody knows me, I'm a stickler for the rules. You know what the rules say and you stick to them," said Harrington at the Irish Open.

"I know Jon Rahm. Big fan of Jon. And if the rules are written down, you've got to go about and stick to them. That's just the way it is. It's very important for the Ryder Cup - the Ryder Cup is bigger than just the match.

"I know people want to make out that it's this one match every two years, but the Ryder Cup is the European Tour. It is the backbone of the European Tour. I would have been a strong advocate of stronger rules in the past of four events is not a lot.

"And I know the independent, the neutral would say, you know, it should be just European-born players against US-born players, but it's very important to the European Tour. The European Tour doesn't have a lot of leverage to get players to come across and play here."

With most of the top European players now PGA Tour regulars, Harrington insists the Ryder Cup rules are one of the few ways to entice them back to play on home soil - although he admits the Rahm situation has put everyone in a difficult spot.

"It is a very tough situation for the European Tour. It is a very tough situation for Luke Donald and the Ryder Cup in the sense of they really do want to have the best team and there is a case for saying, you know, give ourselves the best chance of winning," Harrington added.

"I'm a guy for sticking to the rules but it puts us in an awkward situation because in 12 months' time I will actually want Jon Rahm playing in the match.

"But the 12th guy who qualifies, sticking to the rules or gets bumped out, he's not going to be happy if somebody else has not stuck to the rules. We can't forget that person, either."