Potential trouble appears to be brewing for LIV Golfers hoping to play in future editions of the Ryder Cup beyond the upcoming Bethpage Black match.
That’s because, per The Telegraph’s Golf Correspondent James Corrigan, LIV Golf will no longer pay player fines to the DP World Tour accrued by its eligible Europeans after this year.
In April 2023, clarity over the Ryder Cup futures of European LIV Golfers came when the DP World Tour won a legal battle, which upheld its conflicting tournament release regulation, giving it the ability to sanction members who breached it.
That meant that European LIV Golfers who retained DP World Tour membership would need to pay ongoing fines to it, reportedly of $100,000 a tournament, and serve suspensions for competing in events that conflicted with its schedule without permission.
Up until now, the big-money circuit has footed the bill for the sanctions imposed by the DP World Tour, meaning there is nothing to stop eligible European players either qualifying automatically or being handed a wildcard for this year’s match.
However, if, as reported, that stops, it will be up to the players to pay any future fines, with the likelihood that if they refuse to do so, they will not be considered for a place at the 2027 Ryder Cup and beyond.
The Telegraph reports that cumulative fines have amounted to approximately £15m ($20m with another £8m to £10m ($10m to $13m) owed if appeals against the fines lodged last year by Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk are unsuccessful.
Tyrrell Hatton appealed his fines, leaving him eligible for the 2025 match
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Those outstanding fines briefly cast their eligibility for September’s match into doubt as each was short of the minimum four DP World Tour appearances needed to retain their memberships and be eligible for selection.
In the end, because they appealed, they could all play the required number of tournaments, and, as Corrigan reports, the appeals will be heard after September’s encounter against the US, meaning they are eligible for selection on this year’s team.
However, if the appeals are unsuccessful, the only way they will be eligible for future editions will be to pay the fines themselves.
Rahm in particular has previously stated he is in no mood to…
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