The DP World Tour released an official statement this Saturday at noon announcing the news that had been in the works for some time and which we have been informing you about promptly on Ten Golf. There is white smoke. An agreement has been reached between the European circuit and several LIV Golf players to eliminate the fines imposed so far and allow them to play tournaments in the Saudi league and the DP World Tour freely, without sanctions and maintaining their membership status, so they can also be eligible for the Ryder Cup. The agreement has been made with eight players. The big surprise is that Jon Rahm is not among them. Neither is Sergio García.
This is the full statement from the DP World Tour:
“The DP World Tour has granted conditional releases to eight members to compete in conflicting LIV Golf tournaments during the 2026 season.
Each of the members has accepted the conditions set by the DP World Tour to obtain such authorization, which include:
– Full payment of all outstanding fines for breaches of the DP World Tour Regulations.
– Participation in additional DP World Tour tournaments as previously stipulated, as well as in the corresponding media and promotional activities.
– Withdrawal of all pending appeals.
The members who have been granted conditional releases are: Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig, and Elvis Smylie.
The conditions these members have accepted will add additional value to the DP World Tour and benefit all its members. As long as each player meets the conditions of their individual authorization, no disciplinary action will be taken under the Regulations for competing in conflicting LIV Golf tournaments in 2026, and they will retain their membership status.
The authorizations apply only to the 2026 season and do not set a precedent. Authorization requests will continue to be considered individually, based on the merits of each case and in accordance with the Regulations that all members agree to comply with.”
As you can see, Hatton, in the same situation as Jon, has reached an agreement. Now it remains to be seen where Rahm stands. For now, it must be said that his legal claim against the DP World Tour is ongoing, and we will have to see what happens when a final resolution is reached. Rahm has always been opposed to paying the fines, and it seems that the obstacle, for now, is insurmountable. The next thing is to know how his situation stands regarding the Ryder Cup. Basically, a mess.
Thus, the key points to understand this significant news:
– Conditional releases have been granted to eight current members of the DP World Tour who also compete in LIV Golf, only for the 2026 season. The conditions of these releases are specific to each member and have been set by the Tour.
– The conditional releases have only been granted (and can only be granted) to current members. The conditions have been established by the Tour and accepted by the respective members, and neither non-members nor LIV Golf have had any involvement. This is why Sergio García, who is not currently a member, is not included.
– The conditions accepted by the affected members will provide real additional value to the DP World Tour and benefit all its members, beyond the value of any sanctions that might otherwise have been imposed.
– These conditional releases also align with the principle, endorsed by Sport Resolutions, that by agreeing to be part of a member organization, players must accept that there are limitations on freely participating in multiple circuits. The players who have been granted releases have accepted this principle and have agreed to pay all outstanding fines in full and withdraw all pending appeals.
– They do not set a precedent and any future authorization requests will be considered individually, based on the merits of each case and in accordance with the Regulations.
– The DP World Tour will take disciplinary action under the Regulations against members who participate in conflicting tournaments without authorization. This includes resolving in the near future all pending appeals. This is the situation of Jon Rahm.
– The option to reapply for Tour membership has always been available to former members, provided that all outstanding fines are paid in full and suspensions have been served. The next opportunity to reapply for membership would be before the November deadline for the 2027 season.
– David Puig has indeed signed this agreement. It is true that the young man from La Garriga has not been a member of the DP World Tour until this season, so he had no outstanding fines, the same case as Victor Perez, Detry, and Smylie.
