LIV Golf will no longer pay off DP World Tour fines for its players and it could have a huge impact on the Ryder Cup, claims Telegraph.
LIV Golf has confirmed to Telegraph Sport it will no longer pay DP World Tour fines for its players starting next season
As has been the case for DP World Tour members crossing over to LIV Golf since its inauguration exactly three years ago this month, heavy fines have been dished out by the former European Tour circuit.
But the Saudi-bankrolled LIV Golf circuit has had the backs of its players by helping them pay off their fines.
Multiple European Tour legends such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson lost their appeals over DP World Tour fines in 2023 and they consequently terminated their long-term memberships of the circuit.
Sergio Garcia also followed suit, only for him to make a U-turn on his decision last year so that he could attempt to make a joint-tying 11th Ryder Cup team this September, something that currently remains in the balance.
Garcia’s decision to return to the DP World Tour was made much easier given LIV Golf helped pay nearly £1m in fines.
Then of course there is the ongoing saga of Legion XIII and European Ryder Cup teammates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who have both appealed their fines in order to remain members of the DP World Tour.
Rahm’s manager, according to Telegraph Sport, has told DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings he has “no intention of paying the fines.”
It remains to be seen what Rahm’s team make of LIV Golf’s latest decision though, since the league is going to pull the plug on paying off DP World Tour fines as of 2026, according to Telegraph Sport.
According to Telegraph Sport, LIV Golf has already paid around £15 million in penalties, with another £8–10 million potentially due if Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton lose their appeals.
Conveniently for the DP World Tour and the European Ryder Cup team, Rahm and Hatton’s appeal hearings won’t happen until after the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage. This means both players will be eligible to compete, which is a big advantage for Team Europe as they try to win an away Ryder Cup for the first time in 13 years under captain Luke Donald.
Still, the long-term impact of LIV Golf’s latest financial moves on the European Ryder Cup team is unclear. A lot will depend on how the global professional golf scene evolves.
Meanwhile, the DP World Tour announced that the Ryder Cup will return to Spain in 2031—a perfect opportunity, Rahm believes, for Sergio Garcia to captain the team on home turf.
Unlike Europe, the U.S. Ryder Cup team isn’t facing the same uncertainty, since it’s run by the PGA of America, not the PGA Tour, which still has LIV players suspended.
Earlier this week, Telegraph Sport also reported that U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and European captain Luke Donald have agreed to let Bradley serve as a playing captain at Bethpage.
But not everyone agrees with that move. Ryder Cup legend Sam Torrance called the idea “100% chaos.”
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