Jon Rahm is in Hong Kong this week for the LIV Golf Hong Kong event, but, as has happened often this year, a different tour was the hottest topic of discussion during his pre-tournament press conference.
During his Tuesday scrum with reporters, Rahm explained in detail why he rejected the DP World Tour’s latest offer to resolve his punishments for playing LIV Golf events, an offer eight other LIV pros accepted.
In his remarks, Rahm struck a defiant tone, criticizing the DP World Tour’s handling of the situation and accusing the tour of “extorting players.”
Here’s what you need to know.
Jon Rahm rejects DP World Tour offer, 8 others accept
To fully understand Rahm’s criticism of the DP World Tour, we must first go back two weeks ago to February 21. On that day, the DP World Tour announced it had come to an agreement with eight LIV Golf players allowing them to continue to play LIV Golf events without accruing additional sanctions from the tour.
Previously, DP World Tour members were charged big fines for playing in LIV Golf events that occurred in the same week as DP World Tour events.
DP World Tour grants conditional releases to 8 LIV golfers — but not Jon Rahm
By:
Jessica Marksbury
As part of the deal, players were forced to pay outstanding fines, commit to playing a number of DP World Tour events and agree to promote those events in media.
In a press release at the time, the DP World Tour stated, “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 players who agreed to the deal are Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie.
Rahm, however, rejected the offer. Among other things, that decision could have major ramifications to his DP World Tour membership status, which could impact his involvement in the 2027 Ryder Cup.
Rahm blasts DP World Tour: ‘I don’t know what game they’re trying to play’
With that as the background, Rahm stepped to the podium at LIV Golf Hong Kong on Tuesday. After fielding a few quick questions about that week’s tournament, a reporter asked Rahm for his feelings on the DP World Tour contract situation, and the two-time major champion went deep on the subject.
First, Rahm criticized the specific demands about playing in DP World Tour events, claiming they are requiring him to play six tournaments total, including two that they will “dictate.”
“I don’t like what they’re doing currently with the contract they’re having us sign. I don’t like the conditions,” Rahm said. “They’re asking me to play a minimum of six events, and they dictate where two of those have to be, amongst other things that I don’t agree with.”
He continued by arguing that he’s been a “dual member” of the PGA and DP World Tours his entire career and never before was forced to get a release to play on either tour.
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Josh Schrock
“If we just go based on that — I’ve been a dual member my whole career, PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Now with LIV Golf being accepted in the world rankings as part of the ecosystem, you could almost say a three-tour member, even though I’m suspended from the PGA Tour,” Rahm said. “But I’ve always been a dual member. Never once have I been asked for a release to play either one of those tours. We’ve never submitted a release. So why is it now that we need to be offering this and there’s all these penalties? I understand why they’re doing it. What’s the problem?”
Rahm also expressed additional frustration that he was originally asked to appeal his fines two years ago “so they could figure this out” and yet they’re “running into more problems right now.”
Ultimately, he wants the freedom to play wherever he likes whenever he likes.
“I just don’t like the situation. I think we should be able to freely play where we want and have the choice to play where we want and not be dictated what we do. Especially myself. I can’t speak for others; only myself,” Rahm said.
Later in his lengthy response, Rahm directly accused the DP World Tour of “extorting” LIV players with the contract demands, while also trying to benefit from those same players’ appearances in DP World Tour events.
“I don’t know what game they’re trying to play right now, but it just seems like in a way they’re using us to — they’re using our impact in tournaments and fining us and trying to benefit both ways from what we have to offer, and it’s just in a way they’re extorting players like myself and young players that have nothing to do with the politics of the game,” Rahm argued. “So I don’t like the situation and I’m not going to agree to that.”
Among the DP World Tour’s demands, Rahm singled out one specific point that troubles him most. Previously, players were required to play a minimum of four DP World Tour tournaments a year to maintain their membership. But the DP World Tour is requiring LIV players to commit to six events to be granted releases.
Rahm said if they changed that requirement back to four events, he would “sign tonight.”
“Now, I did tell them, funny enough, lower that to four events, like the minimum says, and I’ll sign tonight,” Rahm said. “They haven’t agreed to that. I just refuse to play six events. I don’t want to, and that’s not what the rules say.”