Rahm wants Ryder Cup spot but won't pay fines

Jon Rahm says helium has nary volition of paying his outstanding DP World Tour fines arsenic the enactment implicit his Ryder Cup eligibility rumbles on.

The Spaniard was a pivotal fig successful Rome past twelvemonth arsenic Europe regained the trophy.

But Rahm's engagement successful adjacent year's contention against the United States successful New York remains successful uncertainty due to the fact that of his determination to LIV Golf.

He was fined for playing Saudi-funded LIV tournaments which conflicted with DP World Tour events, without requesting support from the European-based tour.

The 29-year-old needs to play successful 3 much tournaments earlier the play ends successful November to clasp his rank of the DP World Tour and beryllium eligible to play astatine Bethpage successful 2025.

Rahm has entered the Spanish Open, Dunhill Links Championship and Andalucia Masters, but a DP World Tour spokesperson told BBC Sport that until the fines are paid "he is ineligible to play".

Speaking connected Wednesday astatine LIV Chicago, Rahm said: "I'm not a large instrumentality of the fines. I don't mean to wage the fines and we support trying to person a treatment with them (the DP World Tour) astir however we tin marque this happen.

"I mean to play successful Spain. Whether they fto maine play oregon not is simply a antithetic thing."

European players indispensable play 4 DP World Tour events a twelvemonth to clasp their membership. Rahm's information successful the Paris Olympic Games counted arsenic one.

England's Tyrrell Hatton, who teamed up with Rahm to triumph some their foursomes matches astatine past year's Ryder Cup, was successful a akin presumption aft besides joining LIV.

But Rahm's Legion XIII team-mate was allowed to play successful past month's British Masters aft appealing against his fines.

Players who initially joined LIV successful 2022 appealed against their suspensions and fines and were capable to vie until April 2023 erstwhile an arbitration sheet recovered successful favour of the DP World Tour and ratified its close to enforce its regulations.

And erstwhile European skipper Padraig Harrington insists those rules should beryllium adhered to.

"I'm a stickler for the rules," said the 2021 captain, who is astatine this week's Irish Open.

"I'm friends with Jon but if the rules are written down, that's conscionable the mode it is. The Ryder Cup is bigger than conscionable the match. It is the backbone of the European Tour.

"The European Tour doesn't person a batch of leverage to get players to travel backmost crossed and play here. The Ryder Cup is the carrot that we usage to get radical to travel back.

"It is simply a precise pugnacious concern for Luke Donald and The Ryder Cup but if the 12th feline who qualifies by sticking to the rules gets bumped out, he's not going to beryllium blessed if idiosyncratic other has not stuck to the rules. We can't hide that person."

Speaking successful the contiguous aftermath of Rahm's seismic determination to LIV past December, Rory McIlroy said the European circuit "is going to person to rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup eligibility" due to the fact that "we'd surely miss and request Jon astatine Bethpage".

Europe were thrashed 19-9 astatine Whistling Straits connected their past sojourn to the US successful 2021, and though a 16½-11½ triumph successful Rome avenged that decision - with Rahm and Hatton going unbeaten successful their 4 matches - 2025's Ryder Cup successful New York promises to beryllium different pugnacious assignment.

However, Donald told BBC Sport past month "there's not going to beryllium a concern wherever we're singling retired 1 idiosyncratic to alteration the rule".

He added: "It's rather wide with the argumentation that you either wage the fines oregon you tin entreaty them, and wrong that entreaty clip you tin inactive play immoderate DP World Tour events, truthful Jon perfectly knows what is required."