LIV Golf star Jon Rahm is running out of time to maintain his DP World Tour spot, which is necessary for him to hold a spot on Team Europe at the Ryder Cup next year.
Rahm played a big part in helping Team Europe reclaim the Ryder Cup from the Americans in 2023, helping captain Luke Donald & co rout their opponents 16 1/2 to 11 1/2. The Spaniard will face a time crunch with the season running down to play the required four DP events to maintain Ryder Cup eligibility.
He's already played three: the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the Open Championship . But just nine DP events remain on the calendar, including the British Masters this weekend (Rahm will not play). He will also not be able to play at the Amgen Irish Open or the BMW PGA Championships because of LIV Golf commitments, meaning he's only got seven tournaments left to compete in.
Additionally, Rahm didn't make it seem like golf was his biggest priority this fall in a recent interview : “At this point, I'm still waiting on what might happen with my wife and daughter that I don't know if I'll be able to play or not. So my fall is still a little bit of a question mark when it comes to playing golf.”
Rahm did indicate that he "[wants] to tee it up at the Spanish Open," where he's a record three-time Champion. The Spanish Open starts in Madrid on September 26, just four days after the LIV Team Championship in Dallas.
The LIV star has already accumulated a slew of fines, projecting to be north of $100,000, due to playing "conflicting events" throughout the year.
Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald was stern but levelheaded when asked about bending the rules to potentially accommodate Rahm.
“There's not going to be a situation where we're singling out one person to change the rules," Donald said . "Jon absolutely knows what is required."
"He wants to play a few events and be eligible. I hope he does either pay the fines, or appeals and becomes eligible for my team because I would dearly love to have him be a part of that."
Donald also offered praise to fellow LIV Golfer Tyrrell Hatton for playing in the British Masters this weekend, helping him earn a spot on the Ryder Cup team.
Rory McIlroy has expressed optimism that Rahm will be part of the team in 2025, stating bluntly that "Jon is going to be in Bethpage [Black] in 2025."
"Because of this decision, the European tour is going to have to rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup eligibility," McIlroy continued. "There's absolutely no question about that - I certainly want Jon Rahm on the next Ryder Cup team."
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