Jon Rahm refusing the DP World Tour’s offer to return and play the Ryder Cup with a seemingly low penalty has become the talk of the town. And Rory McIlroy believes “it’s a shame” Rahm didn’t align with the European Tour. 

“The DP World Tour is well within its rights to protect itself as a members' organization and as a business,” McIlroy told the media at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

“If you asked any DP World Tour member about the deal that they have cut with the LIV guys, they’d all say that it was pretty generous. There's a reason that eight of the nine took it, because they probably think the same thing, and one guy thinks a little differently. And that's a shame.”

Tyrrell Hatton, Thomas Detry, Tom McKibbin, Victor Perez, David Puig, Laurie Canter, Adrian Meronk, and Elvis Smylie agreed to the conditions set by the DP World Tour to maintain their membership. And Jon Rahm was the only one standing against it. 

According to the world number two, Rahm got a “much softer deal” than Brooks Koepka. He pointed out that playing the Ryder Cup necessitates a DP World Tour membership. For that, one has to abide by the rules and regulations. And breaking the media rights agreements to go to a “conflicting event” was subject to fines. 

For golfers who didn’t want to pay the fines, the DP World Tour came up with a solution to ease the financial burden. McIlroy believed that it was “a really good deal.”

“Obviously, Jon doesn't think so, and he's obviously well within his rights to think that way,” McIlroy continued. “But I just don't see what more the European Tour can do to accommodate these guys to retain their membership.”

To him, playing two extra events to retain the DP World Tour membership “isn’t a heavy lift.” But for Rahm, it was a completely different situation. 

Real Reason Why Jon Rahm Didn’t Align With the DP World Tour

The LIV Golf star didn’t like the conditions. Talking to the media in Hong Kong, Rahm said, “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.”

Rahm was always a dual member of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Later, with LIV Golf receiving a nod from the OWGR, he’s almost become a “three-tour member.” But he was never asked for a release to play in either tour. 

"I don't know what game they're trying to play right now, but it just seems like in a way they're using our impact in tournaments and fining us and trying to benefit both ways from what we have to offer.”

He’s willing to pay the fines to play the Ryder Cup. But he’s not ready to commit to two extra events on the DP World Tour. 

Do you side with McIlroy and think that Rahm missed a golden opportunity? Tell us in the comments and read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu