DP World Tour player fuming with latest Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton update
'I don't like the look of it': Bernd Wiesberger believes there are 'a lot of question marks' over Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton being allowed to return to the DP World Tour.
Eight-time DP World Tour winner and former LIV Golf player Bernd Wiesberger has confessed he "does not like the look of" both Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton being allowed to play DP World Tour events on appeal at the back end of this season.
LIV Golf's Legion XIII duo and European Ryder Cup teammates Rahm and Hatton have been permitted to return to the DP World Tour having appealed against hefty fines on them for playing in LIV Golf tournaments without permission this season.
Both Hatton, 32, and Rahm, 29, were required to play in four regular DP World Tour events outside of the majors in order to retain their membership of the former European Tour circuit and more importantly keep their hopes alive of competing in Luke Donald's 2025 European Ryder Cup team in New York.
"Jon Rahm has a pending appeal against sanctions imposed on him and in accordance with the DP World Tour’s Regulations, he is eligible to participate in the acciona Open de España presented by Madrid later this month," confirmed a DP World Tour spokesperson.
The same statement was given in relation to Hatton, who made his return to the DP World Tour at the British Masters earlier this month.
But in the eyes of Wiesberger, 38, who played seven LIV Golf events in 2022 and then a full season on the Saudi-backed league in 2023, the latest update on Rahm and Hatton does not sit well with him in the slightest.
Related:
- DP World Tour drop bombshell update on Jon Rahm's Ryder Cup plans
- Smith: "I'm not sure what planet Jon Rahm is on right now, but it's clearly not Earth"
- LIV Golf's Tyrrell Hatton returns to DP World Tour at British Masters despite pending appeal
- European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald makes Jon Rahm revelation
Wiesberger, who had been representing Cleeks GC on LIV Golf, returned to the DP World Tour earlier this season having served a lengthy ban.
The Austrian also paid off his hefty fine in order to return to the DP World Tour, however, it is believed LIV paid around £1.5m on his behalf.
Bernd Wiesberger fuming Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton are able to return to the DP World Tour under appeal of their fines
"I don't really like the look of it, purely for the reason that I've done all my fines and my sanctions and I wasn't able to play tournaments on this Tour as a full member," Wiesberger told reporters during the Irish Open where he finished T63 at Royal County Down.
"I was going to play the Barracuda Championship and this Tour was unable to get me in the field because it was a co-sanctioned event (with the PGA Tour), which left a pretty sour taste in my mouth.
"This 'going around corners' now, I don't really like it, but I like that we have the best players possible playing our tournaments. It's a little bit of a conundrum in that sense for me.
"It opens a lot of, I'm not saying loopholes, but a lot of question marks. It will be a process.
"I will most likely attend the AGM on Monday in Wentworth and hear if there's some kind of statement from the Tour there towards its members and stakeholders. It will be interesting to hear.
"For me, having to go through all the fines and sanctions that I had - I'm not getting any money back I'm sure."
Despite the Austrian's apparent irritation, it should be noted the appeal situation for both Rahm and Hatton is exactly the same as it has been for other players such as Wiesberger, who appealed his own sanctions when joining LIV Golf for the first time in the summer of 2022.
Wiesberger's sanctions were stayed until the outcome of that appeal in April 2023.
As for his comment about not making it into the Barracuda Championship, well this is not a co-sanctioned event with the PGA Tour unlike the Scottish Open.
The Barracuda is a PGA Tour event that gives access for DP World Tour members.
A DP World Tour spokesperson told GolfMagic that Wiesberger "was unable to play in the Barracuda Championship because he was ineligible under PGA Tour rules having played in an unauthorised event within the previous year, and he was informed of that and was aware of it."
Neither Rahm or Hatton are able to participate in this week's BMW PGA at Wentworth, the flagship event of the DP World Tour, as a result of it clashing with LIV Golf's season-ending Team Championship in Dallas.
Rahm confirmed last week he will be teeing it up in the Open de Espana at the end of the month, before also competing in the Dunhill Links and Andalucia Masters to ensure he has played in four regular events on the DP World Tour this season.
The Spaniard's other counting event on the DP World Tour was the Olympics, where he threw away a four-shot lead heading into the back nine and did not even finish on the podium.
Rahm captured the season-long Individual Championship on LIV Golf following a three-shot victory in Chicago on Sunday.
That saw him pocket a cool $22m.
Hatton meanwhile returned to the DP World Tour at the British Masters at The Belfry earlier this month where he went on to finish T18.
The fiery Englishman is also expected to peg it up in the Open de Espana alongside Rahm, as well as the Dunhill Links at St Andrews in early October.
Both Rahm and Hatton will be able to participate in the DP World Tour Playoffs providing they crack the top 70 in the DP World Tour Rankings prior to Abu Dhabi and the top 50 before Dubai.
Hatton is currently ranked 89th, with Rahm down in 122nd.
Rory McIlroy is running away with things at the top of the DP World Tour Rankings despite narrowly missing out on a home win at the Irish Open on Sunday.
McIlroy led by two shots with four holes to play but two late bogeys and a fast finish from Rasmus Hojgaard saw him finish in solo second.
The sloppy finish had shades of the US Open for the Ulsterman, who admitted "unfortunately I'm getting used to it this year".
McIlroy is some 1,500 points clear of Hojgaard in the DP World Tour Rankings as he goes in pursuit of emulating Seve Ballesteros' haul of six Harry Vardon trophies.
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