Jon Rahm Slams “Ridiculous” PGA Tour Rule: “Those Two Get Same Punishment”
PLYMOUTH, MI - AUGUST 24: Team Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm carries the winners trophy off of the stage at the conclusion of the awards ceremony following the final round of the LIV Golf Team Championship Michigan on August 24, 2025 at The Cardinal at Saint John s Resort in Plymouth, MI. Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire GOLF: AUG 24 LIV Golf Team Championship Michigan EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon25082413
PLYMOUTH, MI - AUGUST 24: Team Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm carries the winners trophy off of the stage at the conclusion of the awards ceremony following the final round of the LIV Golf Team Championship Michigan on August 24, 2025 at The Cardinal at Saint John s Resort in Plymouth, MI. Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire GOLF: AUG 24 LIV Golf Team Championship Michigan EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon25082413
The golf community held its breath when the PGA Tour put a one-year suspension on Pat Perez for broadcasting with LIV Golf in the 2025 season.
This punishment has brought up the talk about Brooks Koepka’s move away from LIV Golf. But Jon Rahm has some blunt remarks for those aligning Perez’s disciplinary actions with those of Koepka.
Jon Rahm joined Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz on the 300th episode of GOLF’s Subpar. Stoltz reflected on Perez’s punishment and assumed, “Brooks is at least held to the standard of what a guy that was broadcasting and not even playing.” However, Rahm wasn’t really happy with that prospect.
He slammed back, “The fact that those two guys get the same punishment for broadcasting, that’s… I won’t say much more on that, but that’s a little ridiculous.”
The comparison set the stage for Rahm’s frustration. Rahm did not speculate on what Koepka’s punishment should be, but his point was clear. Identical penalties for fundamentally different actions undermine the credibility of the system enforcing them.
That being said, according to the PGA Tour’s rulebook, “Promotion of and association with an unauthorized event is considered participation in the event for the purposes of this regulation. Should players seek to reinstate their membership in the future, they would be subject to disciplinary action for violations incurred as a member and any violations to the Non-Member Policy.”
But does this mean Brooks Koepka can return to the PGA Tour anytime soon? Rahm certainly hopes so.
Jon Rahm Reveals His Wishes Regarding Brooks Koepka
As the conversation on GOLF’s Subpar continued, Rahm opened up on the idea of playing with Koepka again. Wishing him the best, the Spaniard said, "I’ve had some great times with Brooks on the golf course. Obviously, in the ’23 Masters, we had that playoff in ’24 at Greenbrier. Going at it at the Ryder Cup a few times, he’s always fun to play with. Fast, honest guy. Wish him nothing but the best.”
“Obviously, wish that I could keep playing with him, but hopefully we can compete for other events, majors in the future.”
Rahm’s comments highlight concern over proportionality as golf navigates blurred lines between competition and governance. Whether Koepka returns soon or not, the debate underscores unresolved tensions shaping professional golf’s future.
Written by
Krushna Pattnaik
Edited by
Oajaswini Prabhu