Luke Donald wasn’t back on the job a full day before Europe’s Ryder Cup frontman was asked about the ongoing rift between Jon Rahm and the DP World Tour.
Donald, who was named Europe’s Ryder Cup captain for the third time Wednesday, was asked about Rahm’s availability for next year’s matches after the Spaniard declined a peace offering from the European circuit.
The European tour announced last month that eight members had been granted conditional releases to compete in LIV Golf tournaments without more sanctions for violating the DP World Tour’s policy regarding conflicting events. That list didn’t include Rahm, who said Tuesday at the LIV event in Hong Kong that he declined the conditional release because he felt like the tour was “extorting players.”
“I don’t like what they’re doing currently with the contract they’re having us sign,” Rahm said. “I don’t like the conditions. 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.”
Donald said he hasn’t spoken to Rahm about his decision to not take the conditional release and that he is a “tremendous teammate and player.”
“I think every time I’ve been captain, there’s always challenges to overcome. It’s never a smooth road. There’s always bumps in the road,” said Donald, who led the European team to victory in his first two turns as captain. “Obviously my plan and my hope is that Jon is available for that team. I’ll have to have that conversation soon and see where his head is.”
Rahm has challenged the European tour’s policy for conflicting events – which has resulted in an estimated $3 million in fines, according to the Spaniard – in arbitration, but that decision is pending. If the policy is upheld in arbitration, Rahm would have to pay the fines to maintain his tour status or risk not being eligible to play next year’s Ryder Cup in Ireland.
Rahm has gone 5-2-2 in the last two Ryder Cups for Europe and has been crucial to the team’s success, thanks to his pairing with Tyrrell Hatton. Hatton was one of the eight LIV Golf players who agreed to the European tour’s conditional release.