Jon Rahm knew a solution would come. He racked up massive penalties—over £2M ($3M) by some accounts—for violating DP World Tour (DPWT) rules by competing in unauthorized LIV Golf series events. With paying the fine out of the question and LIV Golf’s future at stake, Rahm’s career seemed bleak at best. None of that, however, is going to happen now.
According to Sports Illustrated‘s Bob Harig, Rahm and the DP World Tour have reached an agreement. Rahm broke ahead of this week’s LIV Golf Virginia. Under the deal, he will regain playing privileges on the Tour without additional fines or needing releases from LIV commitments. DP World Tour has yet to issue an official announcement.
What does this mean? First, the pro can return to Tour events. His last DPWT start was at the 2025 Open de España (T9). He’s been ineligible unless he pays the fine or takes the Tour’s March offer to LIV pros. That offer, accepted by eight LIV players, gives conditional 2026 releases if they drop appeals, pay fines, and play two extra events.
Jon Rahm said that he’s come to an agreement with DP World Tour that will allow him to play the tour without further fines and the need for releases from LIV events. Awaiting DPWT confirmation of specifics
— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) May 5, 2026
At that time, Rahm accused the Tour of “extorting players,” basically leaving the pros with no option but to choose the lesser of two evils. Or, something similar. That was a hint at the Tour dictating which two events the LIV pros would have to play in. But of course, his reluctance to either take up the offer or pay the fines threatened his future in the Ryder Cup, which, in turn, worried pros like Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy.
Rose, for instance, stated at The Players, “I would like to see Jon pay his fines for sure and be a part of the Ryder Cup.”
In September 2024, Rahm challenged the DP World Tour’s penalties before a U.K. arbitration panel, which still hasn’t reviewed the matter. The appeal let him fulfill the necessary event quotas for DP World Tour qualification, locking in his place on Europe’s Ryder Cup squad. A negative result, everyone knows, would have resulted in a bleak future.
However, that no longer seems to be the likely outcome. Tour pro, Michael Kim, took a half-hearted dig at that, writing on X, “lol good for both him and DP world tour.”
Meanwhile, this news drops at a delicate time. Earlier this month, LIV Golf revealed that its primary backer, PIF, is withdrawing from the league. For years, the fund served as an almost bottomless financial powerhouse, funding massive signing bonuses, huge prize money, and bold expansion plans to challenge, and possibly surpass, the PGA Tour.
With their departure, LIV’s future beyond this season remains uncertain.
Donald Trump wants something bigger than this for Jon Rahm
“I’d love to see LIV. But I do believe that all of the golfers should be playing – the great golfers – should be playing against each other. I want to see Rory [McIlroy] playing Bryson DeChambeau. I want to see big Jon Rahm play Scottie [Scheffler], who is so great,” said President Donald Trump at Oval Office earlier this month.
LIV Golf delayed its June New Orleans event, with organizers aiming to reschedule it later this year. The next stop is May 7-10 at Trump National Doral, just outside Washington.
“I’m not sure what’s going on with LIV, but they’re teeing it up at my course in two weeks, on the Potomac,” Trump remarked.
But hold on a bit.
