Former Masters champion Jon Rahm has confirmed he has committed to playing the Spanish Open but is disputing his LIV Golf fines.
Jon Rahm has increased his chances of playing in the 2025 Ryder Cup by announcing that he will be participating in the Spanish Open. The golfer is not willing to pay the fines given to him by the DP World Tour for choosing to join the new LIV Golf League.
Rahm’s spot in Luke Donald’s team for next September was at risk if he didn’t participate in his home open in Madrid at the end of the month.
It was believed that Rahm had to participate in at least four events on the DP World Tour by the end of the year to keep his membership and qualify for the competition in New York next September.
Rahm told reporters on Wednesday in Chicago that the Olympics counted towards this and therefore the number of tournaments required is three.
The 29-year-old said he’s committed to playing at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid over 26-29 September.
But he is refusing to pay the fines.
Rahm never resigned his DP World Tour membership and, just like his teammate Tyrrell Hatton, has been racking up fines when he competes in LIV events.
Rahm said: “I’m entered into the tournament [the Spanish Open].
“We entered a long time ago. Whether they let me play or not is a different thing. I’m not a big fan of the fines.
“I think I’ve been outspoken about that. I don’t intend to pay the fines, and we keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen.
“I’ve said many times, I don’t go to the Spanish Open for the glory or anything else.
I think it’s my duty to Spanish golf to be there, and I also want to play in Sotogrande.
“At that point, it would almost be doing not only me but Spanish golf a disservice by not letting me play, so yeah, that’s why we’re trying to talk to them and make that happen.”
Rahm said he would like to play the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship over 3-6 October as well.
Brooks Koepka is also down to play.
“I would also love to play the Dunhill,” Rahm said.
“I have a good friend who asked me to play, and Joe has been has been a great, great ambassador for the game of golf.
“I would love to be able to play all those events.”
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Dark moment
Rahm told reporters before the final men’s major of the year, The Open at Royal Troon, that his wife Kelley was experiencing a difficult third pregnancy.
The couple already have two boys called Kepa and Eneko.
The golfer said that made it difficult working out a schedule for the rest of the year.
Rahm said Kelley is now doing ‘really good’ but there was ‘a dark moment’.
He said: “When I say moment, it was every bit of two months, and I feel like we’re coming out of that right now. We’re towards the end.
“Because of the issues we’ve had, they probably won’t let her go a lot past 38 weeks, but she keeps doing better and better, so they keep changing what her deadline is.”
Rahm added: “I think right now, most likely if the baby doesn’t come early, we might try to induce right after Dallas.
I might go home, have the baby, and then travel to Madrid on Tuesday or Wednesday.
I may fly Thursday morning and play golf in the afternoon, or fly Wednesday afternoon and play golf Thursday morning.
“I think we have things under control for now, but we’ll have to wait and see if the baby comes early.”
I would try to visit my family before being away for a few weeks.”