PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Justin Rose expressed his desire for LIV Golf League captain Jon Rahm to settle his fines with the DP World Tour, enabling him to rejoin the European Ryder Cup team in 2027.
Rahm and the European circuit have reached an impasse, as Rahm has declined to pay fines—reportedly totaling around $3 million—for participating in conflicting events without prior approval.
“I would certainly like to see Jon pay his fines and be part of the Ryder Cup,” Rose stated on Tuesday at TPC Sawgrass, the venue for this week’s Players Championship.
“Clearly, joining LIV was a choice he made and wanted to pursue, and credit to him for that. He is performing well out there, winning, and earning substantial amounts of money, and one cannot dispute or criticize his accomplishments.”
Rahm is the sole LIV Golf player who did not accept a proposal to pay his outstanding fines, withdraw his appeal, and commit to participating in two additional DP World Tour events beyond the minimum four required for membership.
The DP World Tour announced it had granted releases to Tyrrell Hatton and seven other golfers participating in the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf League.
“Clearly, eight accepted the deal, and Jon did not,” Rose remarked. “So, there is a solid precedent indicating that the offer was not unreasonable.”
During a press conference in Hong Kong on March 3, Rahm accused the DP World Tour of trying to “extort” its members by imposing conditions on the additional events that LIV Golf players must enter.
“I simply dislike the situation,” Rahm stated. “I believe we should have the freedom to play wherever we choose and not be dictated in our decisions.”
In September 2024, Rahm appealed the DP World Tour’s sanctions to a U.K. arbitration panel, which has yet to hear his case. This appeal permitted Rahm to fulfill the required number of DP World Tour events to qualify for Europe’s Ryder Cup team, which triumphed over the U.S. 15-13 at Bethpage Black Course in New York in September 2025.
If Rahm’s appeal is unsuccessful, his prospects on the DP World Tour and his eligibility for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland could be uncertain.
“For me, participating in the Ryder Cup transcends monetary considerations,” Rose noted. “What I would suggest is that he might have a valid point regarding the tour mandating extra events. Perhaps there is a compromise where he could support the tour when possible, but without that pressure looming over him; however, settling his fines is undoubtedly the first step.”
Rose is the second European Ryder Cup teammate to comment on his choice to reject the DP World Tour agreement.
Last week, world No. 2 golfer Rory McIlroy remarked that it was a “shame” Rahm did not accept the proposal.
“In my view, it’s a very generous offer,” McIlroy stated.
