DP World Tour deal: Eight LIV Golf players return - only Jon Rahm continues to play poker

The fronts in professional golf seem to be loosening slightly - at least for some of the European elite. While Tyrrell Hatton and seven other players from the LIV Tour have entered into a costly compromise with the DP World Tour, superstar Jon Rahm is sticking to his "no". The Spaniard is putting all his eggs in one basket and risking his future in the European Ryder Cup team.

It is an agreement that seems like a liberating blow for European golf, but at the same time leaves a prominent gap. The DP World Tour officially confirmed at the weekend that eight of its members who had transferred to the Saudi Arabian LIV Circuit have been given conditional clearance for the 2026 season. The names include Ryder Cup greats such as Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk as well as up-and-coming talents such as Tom McKibbin. But one name is conspicuously missing: Jon Rahm.

Peace for cash: the terms of the deal

The return to the negotiating table was not a cheap undertaking for the eight professionals. In order to receive clearance for the coming season and secure their eligibility to play in Europe, they had to accept three tough conditions:

1. Financial restitution: the players agreed to pay all outstanding fines - estimated to be up to 3 million US dollars - in full.
2. Legal truce: All ongoing appeal proceedings against the Tour sanctions have been withdrawn with immediate effect.
3. More presence: The pros not only have to play the minimum number of tournaments, but also commit to additional starts and PR appearances on the DP World Tour.

The Tour emphasized that these are individual case-by-case decisions for 2026 and that no permanent precedent has been set. The following players accepted the deal: Tyrrell Hatton (England), Adrian Meronk (Poland), Thomas Detry (Belgium), Victor Perez (France), Tom McKibbin (Northern Ireland), David Puig (Spain), Laurie Canter (England), Elvis Smylie (Australia).

Jon Rahm: The lone poker player

The fact that Jon Rahm of all people, a face of European golf in recent years, is not on the list is causing concern. While his Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton chose the pragmatic route, Rahm seems to be insisting on his previous position. The two-time major winner had repeatedly emphasized in the past that he did not agree to pay horrendous penalties for tournaments that he would not have played in anyway.

There is a calculation behind Rahm's refusal: he continues to rely on his ongoing appeal proceedings before an arbitration tribunal. Success there would vindicate him without him having to pay the millions in fines out of his own pocket - a necessity since LIV Golf stopped paying such fines last summer.

The quake on the horizon: Ryder Cup 2027

But Rahm's strategy is highly risky. If he loses the court case, he could be suspended and lose his Tour membership. The consequence would be fatal: he would not be eligible to play in the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland. Rahm's resistance is particularly irritating in light of the fact that the Spaniard is said to have received around half a billion dollars for his move to LIV Golf. His decision not to accept the deal cannot therefore be due to financial concerns.

Moral pressure is already growing from within his own ranks. Rory McIlroy recently reminded everyone that Team Europe is proud to play "for honor" and not for money - and that some players now have to prove that participating in the Ryder Cup is also worth a personal financial sacrifice.

A signal with an aftertaste

With this compromise, the DP World Tour has proven that it is prepared to build bridges, provided the players submit to the rules. The fact that eight professionals are taking this path strengthens the fields for the coming tournament season and ensures the stability of the European squad. But as long as the continent's most important player is sidelined, peace in golf will remain a fragile construct.