Tee of 1 at Royal Troon. It’s 9.50 in the morning, local time, one more in mainland Spain. Jon Rahm appears. The forecast announces a change of wind and the golfer wants to play 18 holes to adapt to what is theoretically going to blow tomorrow. Alongside him, his inseparable Tyrrell Hatton. They go alone, although very soon an exceptional guest joins them. It is Luke Donald, who will repeat as captain of Europe in the Ryder Cup of 2025 at Bethpage.
Donald walks with the two for three and a half holes. They are practically talking all the time between shot and shot, especially from tee to green. Once in the vicinity of the hole, the work is more specific and Donald prudently steps aside so they can work in peace.
The captain talks mainly with Rahm. It is no secret to anyone that he is one of the pillars of the team and the Englishman wants to know first-hand what the golfer’s plans are from Barrika. He needs to know if he can count on him in New York and how his conversations with the DP World Tour are going. By the way, he takes the opportunity to remind him that he counts on him, that he plays well and tries to qualify directly, and if not, we’ll see, but he makes it clear that he is one more of the team, as shown by the fact that he is still in the Ryder’s whatsapp group from Italy. For example.
It is the ideal time to know first-hand Jon’s plans, or at least to consolidate them. Rahm wants to play the Ryder Cup. It is one of his big goals. He has told the DP World Tour this. For this, two requirements must be met. The first is to be a member of the European Circuit and the second is to qualify or be chosen by the captain.
Regarding the first, Jon is still a member of the DP World Tour and wants to continue maintaining that condition to, among other things, play the Ryder. For this, an indispensable requirement is to play, beyond the Majors, a minimum of four tournaments from the European calendar in this year 2024. To be able to play these tournaments, as you know, he has to reach an agreement with the DP World Tour on the issue of fines and sanctions provided for in the circuit regulations for having played in LIV Golf tournaments without having received the express permission of the European Tour. What in the jargon of the players is known as the release.
To date there is no official confirmation in this regard. Neither from Rahm’s side nor from the European Circuit has it been announced that there is an agreement regarding the fines to be paid or the sanctions to be complied with. However, Ten Golf can assure that Jon will play the Acciona Open of Spain in Madrid. That is, in one way or another an agreement has been reached between the two parties.
Jon’s plans are to play the Open of Spain, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship the following week, and the Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters in Sotogrande, which is played two weeks after the Dunhill Links. With these three tournaments, plus the Olympic Games, which also count for that minimum of four tournaments, he would have fulfilled to maintain the membership of the European Tour and would already be adding up to qualify for the Ryder.
This is scenario A that is in Rahm’s head, although it could be altered if any of these things happened. On the one hand, the personal part. If the birth of his daughter, scheduled for before the Open of Spain, is delayed, he would not play in Madrid, so it is not to be ruled out that he includes the Open of France, located in the calendar between the Dunhill Links and Sotogrande. The other possibility has more to do with the sporting aspect. If between the Open Championship this week, the Open of Spain and the Dunhill Links, Jon added enough to qualify for the Dubai Final, it is not to be ruled out that, to lighten the schedule and spend more time with his family, especially with the newborn girl, he would skip Sotogrande and the fourth tournament would be the Dubai Final, a course where he has always had a lot of success.
Halfway down the fairway of hole 4, Luke Donald says goodbye to Rahm and Hatton wishing them luck for this week. The captain leaves calmly and confidently that two of his most important boys will do everything possible to be in New York.
