On Saturday, the DP World Tour declared that eight golfers associated with LIV Golf fulfilled their penalty obligations and satisfied specific conditions to secure a provisional exemption for the 2026 season, thereby maintaining their eligibility for DP World Tour competitions and the Ryder Cup. Notably, Jon Rahm, a prominent European figure in LIV Golf, was not included in this arrangement.
Tyrrell Hatton, Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig, and Elvis Smylie consented to settle their financial penalties, drop their challenges against the DP World Tour, and engage in designated tour events, media engagements, and promotional activities. Consequently, they received permission to compete in LIV Golf tournaments even if they coincide with DP World Tour events.
Rahm was excluded from this cohort, which leaves his standing with the DP World Tour, and his potential involvement with Europe’s 2027 Ryder Cup squad, unresolved. The DP World Tour clarified that these provisional release agreements were not intended to set a precedent; their validity is strictly limited to the 2026 season.
Rahm has declined to settle the monetary penalties (estimated to exceed $3 million) incurred for participating in LIV Golf events that clash with the DP World Tour calendar. Both he and Hatton qualified for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black following their appeal against disciplinary actions in September. A schedule for the independent arbiter to hear this appeal remains undetermined, but this recent accord means Hatton (and Meronk, who was also a party to the appeal) is no longer implicated.
Rahm has a grace period of 18 months before needing a favorable decision to ensure his participation in the 2027 Ryder Cup, scheduled for Adare Manor in Ireland; however, by failing to join his eight LIV Golf peers in an accord with the DP World Tour, he has foregone an obvious chance to reinstate his standing, at least for the current year.
Considering that the arrangement is exclusively valid for the 2026 season, which is not a Ryder Cup year, Rahm might have deemed it superfluous to concede in his legal dispute. Should Rahm’s appeal succeed, he could potentially circumvent any monetary sanctions, and with LIV Golf now contributing to world ranking points, if Rahm sustains his historical performance of frequent top-10 finishes – coupled with strong showings in major championships – he could establish a reasonable path to qualification with minimal appearances on the DP World Tour.
Nevertheless, Rahm’s fellow European Ryder Cup team members probably wished he had seized the chance to settle the penalties, mirroring Hatton’s actions, and restored his favorable standing, especially given the upbeat mood surrounding the European team after their triumph in New York.
