Jon Rahm's LIV Golf nightmare becomes a reality after Ryder Cup chief casts doubt over inclusion

Jon Rahm’s LIV Golf move saw him become rich beyond his wildest dreams, but he may have cost himself a chance of playing in the Ryder Cup as a consequence – which was the worst-case scenario for the Masters champion.

The Spaniard shocked the world when he made the move to the Saudi-backed circuit in 2023 in a deal worth £450million. Under the current rules for the prestigious team event, for every appearance he makes for LIV, Rahm will face a fine and a one-tournament suspension.

Furthermore, the 29-year-old and other LIV golf players will lose their cards if they don’t play at least four DP World Tour events in 2024. As it stands, the rules would have to change ahead of the next Ryder Cup in 2025, which is set to be held at Bethpage in New York.

This is proving to be a challenge for Paul McGinley, who is a member of the Ryder Cup Advisory Board. During an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, the Irishman discussed the issues with some members of Team Europe’s best players perhaps not being available next year.

“Under the current systems, they’re not going to be eligible,” said the Dubliner. “So the rules will have to be changed if they are to be played. But there are a lot of hurdles to jump to get to the place where they’re going to be eligible.

“There’s a very, very strong sentiment among the players who have stayed that they’re the reason the game is divided and the product diluted. A diluted product lessens their value. So there’s an argument on both sides. And then there’s the Ryder Cup brand. Is that going to be affected if some top players are ineligible to play?

“So you’ve got to balance making sure the Ryder Cup stays in this top echelon, with the best players playing, but also being fair to the players on both sides. So it’s a negotiating position.” Rahm is a two-time major winner and he is preparing to defend The Masters title in April.

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Rahm shocked the world when he joined LIV Golf in 2023

He has stressed how important the majors and Ryder Cup mean to him and his career, and the possibility of not being eligible for next year’s event is gut-wrenching. He was clutch for Team Europe during their 16.5-11.5 win over Team USA in 2023, and the golfer will certainly want to help his team successfully defend the trophy.

Rahm’s desire to play at the Ryder Cup is a sentiment shared by his European team-mate Rory McIlroy, who expressed a desire for the rules to be changed in order to accompany the LIV man. Speaking after Rahm’s move was confirmed, McIlroy stated: ““Jon is going to be in Bethpage in 2025 so, because of this decision, the European Tour (DP World Tour) are going to have to rewrite the rules for the Ryder Cup eligibility. “There’s absolutely no question about that – I certainly want Jon Rahm on the next Ryder Cup team.

“I’m going to miss competing against him week in and week out. He has got so much talent, he’s so tenacious and he’s a great teammate in the Ryder Cup. The thing that I’ve realized is that you can’t judge someone for making a decision that they feel is the best thing for them.’’