Jon Rahm appeared this Tuesday before the media at the Masters de Augusta. As always. At ten o’clock in the morning local time. His unchanging routine wherever he plays. And as always too, at least over the last two years, he has been asked, among other things, about his dispute with the DP World Tour over the fines
In this, look, it has not been as usual. A substantial change was noticeable. Rahm has assumed there will be an agreement with the DP World Tour. No reproach, no insinuation, not even a sentence that could be misinterpreted, nor a slight trace of bad blood. He was conciliatory and positive
Really, the conclusion, if we believe his words and the way he said it, is that either there is already a preliminary agreement covering four or five tournaments, or it is very close, or he has decided to accept sooner or later the solution of the six that the DP World Tour offers him
“I’m very optimistic. It will be sorted. I have no doubt I will be at the Open de España in October. We’ll sort it out before September”, he declared firmly to the Spanish media sent to the Masters, among them Ten Golf. He had never before appeared so convinced and forceful
Remember that Jon withdrew his lawsuit against the DP World Tour over the fines they imposed on him in 2024 and 2025 for playing LIV tournaments in weeks that coincided with DP World Tour events. Approximately, it’s a little over three million euros, on top of punishments in the form of suspensions preventing him from playing European circuit events
Rahm’s last confession on the matter a few weeks ago was that he was conceding on the fines. That is, for the first time he showed himself willing to pay the financial part, although it should be clarified that the party who would pay the money until December 2025 would be LIV Golf. What the man from Barrika did not agree with was the DP World Tour’s imposition to, in exchange for removing the fines in 2026, force the Spaniard to play six European circuit tournaments this year. “If they tell me four, as until now, we’ll sign the agreement already, but I don’t know why I have to play six when I never have and others don’t have to”, he said at the time
Today he didn’t even want to go into that detail. There was no talk of tournaments. Jon has not set any conditions, at least publicly, which always makes reaching an agreement easier. “We continue talking with the DP World Tour and continue negotiating. I have conceded quite a bit on some things, something I believe I already spoke about in my last press conference (referring to paying the fines). We’ll sort it out. It will turn out well. As of today, the DP World Tour is doing what it has to do and following the channels it has to follow, but I am convinced this will be resolved before I play again in September”, he insisted
Jon’s idea is to play DP World Tour tournaments from September, so until that month arrives there is no hurry to reach an agreement, although Rahm believes there will be a solution sooner. As for the tournaments he could play, the Basque has again mentioned the Open de Irlanda, Open de España, Wentworth, Switzerland, Dunhill or France… That is, he has also included more tournaments than ever in the batch, as if he were opening the door to play five or six, whereas before he had been adamant about not going beyond four
Certainly, this apparent cordiality between the DP World Tour and Jon Rahm is good news. When one of the parties, the most combative until now, shows itself so open to an agreement, there is no doubt that it will happen. Will we see Jon Rahm at Adare Manor in the Ryder Cup? “Yes”, he responded again today emphatically to that question
Until an agreement is reached, Jon will not be able to return to play a DP World Tour event unless he has first paid the fines and served the punishment imposed by the circuit. That is why it is necessary to reach the agreement before September, when Rahm, once LIV Golf has finished, intends to play in Europe
