LIV Golf rebels Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have a clear path to the 2025 Ryder Cup after eligibility criteria was clarified on Friday.
The two European stars appeared to jeopardize their Ryder Cup futures by joining the Saudi-backed separatist tour LIV Golf.
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Players must maintain their DP World Tour membership and participate in at least four events to be considered for selection.
It was widely believed that the suspensions and fines, which were upheld by an arbitration panel in April 2023, made it virtually impossible for LIV Golf’s European players to make the team.
Rory McIlroy even suggested the rules may need to be rewritten following the defection of world number 3 Rahm, while Ryder Cup veterans Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood all resigned their memberships last year due to the situation.
However, new DP World Tour chief Guy Kinnings has now clarified that suspensions can be issued for events taking place during the LIV Golf season, even if the player in question did not intend to attend. play.
“It’s not a loophole because these are the rules we’ve always had and these are the rules we’re going to continue to enforce,” Kinnings said.
“All suspensions count and you have to serve them. And the guys who analyzed this in detail said if they do it the right way, there’s no reason why they can’t play the Ryder Cup.
“We are not going to change anything on this basis. The rules are the rules and they apply to all members. We are not in a position to change rules that we have had to defend in court.”
So it looks like Rahm and Hatton can retain their memberships and compete in four DP World Tour events before the Ryder Cup heads to New York in September 2025.
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Under current rules, they will still have to pay fines for every LIV golf tournament they enter without a “conflict event” permit.
Fines can be up to £100,000 each time and are decided on a case-by-case basis.
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