Jon Rahm bluntly put in his place by 'friend' before Ryder Cup appeal decision

Jon Rahm was criticized by former European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington before finally coming to his senses and appealing $1 million in fines imposed by the DP World Tour.

Rahm's eligibility for next year's showdown at Bethpage Black went down to the wire on Thursday before lodging an appeal just in time for him to compete in the Spanish Open next month, putting him in a position to keep his DP World Tour card.

Rahm, a talismanic presence in the Europeans' victory in Rome last year, put his Ryder Cup future in doubt when he signed up for Saudi Arabia-funded LIV Golf a couple of months later. LIV Golf members can represent Europe at the Ryder Cup provided they maintain a DP World Tour membership.

Players must compete in at least four DP World Tour events per season to maintain their membership. The Olympics counts towards that tally, meaning Rahm must play three more tournaments on the European circuit before the end of the year to keep his membership and eligibility for Ryder Cup selection.

But the Spaniard has stubbornly refused to pay fines owed to the DP World Tour for playing on the unsanctioned LIV league. Players are fined in the region of $100,000 for each LIV event they play that runs concurrently with a DP World Tour event.

Rahm would have needed to pay approximately $1 million to clear the fines he has accrued this season to allow him to participate in DP World Tour events, or he had the option of appealing the punishments, buying him time to complete his obligations and keep his tour card.

Rahm's situation came to a head this week with Thursday's deadline to confirm his entry for the Spanish Open, which tees off on Sept. 26. Rahm declared that he wanted to play in his home tournament but had no intention of paying his fines.

"I'm not a big fan of the fines. I don't intend to pay the fines and we keep trying to have a discussion with [the DP World Tour] about how we can make this happen," the two-time major champion said ahead of LIV Golf's Individual Championship finale in Chicago this weekend. "I intend to play in Spain. Whether they let me play or not is a different thing."

The news could have been a hammer blow to European captain Luke Donald, who has made it clear he wants Rahm on his 12-man team for the clash with the Americans next September. However, the DP World Tour has confirmed the Spaniard lodged an appeal over his fines on Thursday morning.

The move means he will be allowed to play in DP World Tour events until an independent panel reviews his case. The review is unlikely to take place before the end of the year.

When it appeared Rahm was on course to miss out on the Ryder Cup, Donald's predecessor Harrington had no sympathy for the LIV Golf title favorite, despite calling him a "friend". The Irishman believes it is essential that the DP World Tour is protected.

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"I'm a stickler for the rules," Harrington told the BBC. "I'm friends with Jon but if the rules are written down, that's just the way it is. The Ryder Cup is bigger than just the match. It is the backbone of the European Tour.

"The European Tour doesn't have a lot of leverage to get players to come back across and play here. The Ryder Cup is the carrot that we use to get people to come back.

"It is a very tough situation for Luke Donald and the Ryder Cup but if the 12th guy who qualifies by sticking to the rules 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."

Ultimately, Rahm has complied with due process and is on course to help Europe defend its title next year, but not without giving his captain, teammates and fans a scare.