Jon Rahm could win £14m this week – but bigger question remains….

The fate of Jon Rahm’s first season at LIV Golf will be determined this weekend – but a big clue about his Ryder Cup intentions could come even sooner.

Rahm pitches up in Chicago this week with £14million on the line as he closes in on LIV’s individual title.

Only Joaquin Niemann can stop the Spaniard – who has not finished outside the top ten in a LIV event he has played in – winning that eye-watering bonus as the Saudi-backed breakaway’s best player in 2024.

But the uncertainty over Rahm’s eligibility for next year’s Ryder Cup is in even sharper focus.

Before teeing it up in Illinois, the deadline for Rahm to submit entry for the upcoming Spanish Open on the DP World Tour ends.

And twelve months ago, the prospect of Rahm committing to his home Open in Madrid was hardly newsworthy information.

Yet such is the bizarre position Rahm has found himself in since joining LIV, time is running out for the two-time major champion to remain available for Luke Donald’s side for the 2025 match at Bethpage.

Rahm still needs to play three DP World Tour events before the end of the season in November to fulfil the minimum quota required to remain a member on the European circuit.

If he doesn’t, he won’t even be eligible for one of Donald’s six wildcard picks and the chances of Europe winning on US soil would suffer a major blow.

Which is why the entry list into the £2.9m Spanish Open feels so unusually important.

Should he play in the Spanish capital, Rahm would be two events down after the Olympics counted as a DP World Tour start. That tournament precedes the Dunhill Links, the Andalucia Masters, the French Open and the Genesis Championship which takes place in South Korea.

And if Rahm only plays in one of these events, he may struggle to qualify for the DP World Tour playoffs comprising of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Championship and DP World Tour Championship.

At the British Masters last month, Captain Donald indicated that Rahm’s future is largely within his control, as mentioned by a few other journalists. Donald stated during his time at The Belfry that he has had numerous discussions with Jon.

He clarified that Jon is aware of the situation and that there have been no changes since last year.

Jon was informed of the policies regarding the DP World Tour when he signed up for LIV. Players are required to adhere to the rule of playing four tournaments per season, but they have the option to pay fines or appeal, as some players have done in the past. Jon is fully aware of these regulations and it is his responsibility to follow them.

During the PGA Championship, he expressed his willingness to do whatever was necessary to support me and the team. I hope he follows through on that promise.

Tyrrell Hatton, Rahm’s teammate from the 2023 match, is in a more stable situation compared to Rahm.

Last month, Hatton participated in a competition at The Belfry and is now just one event away from reaching his target, having competed in two DP World Tour events in the Middle East before joining LIV. His participation in the British Masters was accompanied by an ongoing appeal challenging the penalties he received for participating in simultaneous LIV events.

Essentially, Hatton has already indicated his intentions to compete in Spain and participate in the Dunhill Links tournament with his father.

Donald mentioned his hopes for Hatton to be one of the eligible candidates that he can consider next year.