The DP World Tour granted conditional releases Saturday to eight of its members to compete in LIV Golf League events this season, but former world No. 1 Jon Rahm isn’t among them.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Rahm rejected the offer from the DP World Tour, which had sanctioned the Spanish golfer and others for playing in LIV tournaments without releases.
In the past, Rahm said he didn’t intend to pay the fines, which are reportedly as much as $3 million.
The DP World Tour said it granted releases to Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie to compete in the LIV Golf League this season.
A DP World Tour statement Saturday said the golfers had agreed to pay all outstanding fines for violating the tour’s regulations; participate in more tournaments than the necessary four to retain their membership; and withdraw all pending appeals.
Rahm, Hatton and Meronk appealed their sanctions in September, which allowed them to continue playing in DP World Tour events. The trio was disciplined for competing in LIV Golf events that were held concurrently with the European circuit’s tournaments.
That appeal allowed Hatton and Rahm to compete on the winning European Ryder Cup team that defeated the U.S. 15-13 at Bethpage Black Course in New York in September.
It isn’t known when a third-party arbiter will hear Rahm’s appeal. His case would have to be resolved for him to participate in the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland.
“The conditions these members have accepted will provide additional value to the DP World Tour and benefit to the entire membership,” the DP World Tour statement said. “Provided each member satisfies the conditions of their individual releases, no disciplinary action under the Regulations will be taken against them for playing in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf in 2026 and they will retain their membership status.”
The DP World Tour said the releases apply only for the 2026 season and are not precedent setting.
In January, PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy urged Rahm and Hatton, his Ryder Cup teammates, to pay the fines to return to the DP World Tour.
“I think any organization or any members’ organization like this has a right to uphold its rules and regulations,” McIlroy told reporters at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. “What the DP World Tour is doing is upholding its rules and regulations. We, as members, sign a document at the start of every year, which has you agree to these rules and regulations.
“The people that made the option to go to LIV knew what they were. So, I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”
