ORLANDO – Rory McIlroy took exception with Jon Rahm’s stance on the DP World Tour’s offer to the Spaniard and eight other LIV Golf players.
Speaking ahead of LIV Golf Hong Kong this week, Rahm delivered a nearly 3-minute rant about why he is the only one who didn’t come to terms with the DP World Tour, including Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton.
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“I don’t like the conditions. They’re asking me to play a minimum of six events, and they dictate where two of those have to be, amongst other things that I don’t agree with,” he said. He went so far as to say the DP World Tour is “extorting” LIV players by making them have to play more.
McIlroy had to know a question was coming about Rahm, his European Ryder Cup teammate, during his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday and he was prepared to answer it.
“In my opinion, it’s a really generous deal. Like it’s a much softer deal than what Brooks (Koepka) took to come back and play on the PGA Tour,” McIlroy said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Look, the European Tour can only do so much to accommodate these guys. So, you know, 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 and the rules and regulations were, if you break the media rights agreement and you go and play in a conflicting event, you don’t get a release, you’re subject to fines. So, the guys didn’t want to pay these fines, that’s fine.
“So then the European Tour said, ‘OK, let’s try to come up with some sort of solution where you don’t have to pay the fines, so that we can ease that burden on you, but still retain your membership.’ And look, there’s a reason eight of the nine guys took that deal, right. I think it’s a really good deal. Yeah, obviously Jon doesn’t think so, and he’s obviously well within his rights to think that way. But I just don’t see what more the European Tour can do to accommodate these guys to retain their membership.”
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In addition to Hatton, Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie agreed to a conditional release that allows them to remain members of the DP World Tour while competing on LIV as long as they pay any outstanding fines, withdraw any pending appeals they had against the Tour and participate in more stipulated Tour events and promotions.
“So, again, there’s a reason that eight of the nine took it,” McIlroy said, “and one guy thinks a little differently, and that’s a shame.”
Rahm said he’d agree to play four events but balked at the additional two events and the DP World Tour being able to dictate where he has to play them.
“Which isn’t a heavy lift,” McIlroy said.
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A hearing date has still not been set for Rahm’s appeals of DP World Tour fines for playing in conflicting events. Rahm has continued to refuse to pay his fines, which are believed to be in excess of $2 million. LIV Golf paid those fines for other players through the conclusion of the 2025 season.
If Rahm were to lose his appeal, he would be required to pay outstanding fines to the DP World Tour if he wanted to be eligible to play those events and be eligible for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor. Asked how concerned he is of the ramifications causing Rahm to miss the Ryder Cup in Ireland, McIlroy said, “The Ryder Cup is bigger than any one person. It’s bigger than all of us. We come and go. Players are — we pass through the system. Like, it’s the platform that’s the big thing. I mean, I think we should all be grateful that we have a platform like the Ryder Cup that we can play on and that we can showcase our skills and be a part of something that’s obviously way bigger than ourselves. So at the end of the day it’s about the team and no one player is bigger than the team.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rory McIlroy criticizes Jon Rahm’s DP World Tour decision
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