Report: DP World Tour reject LIV Golf's offer to pay Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton fines

The DP World Tour has rejected LIV Golf's attempt to 'strike a deal and wipe out penalties' for players such as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, according to Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig. 

The latest update comes a week after Rahm, 29, chose to appeal his DP World Tour fines in a bid to keep his 2025 Ryder Cup hopes alive. 

Hatton, 32, recently made the same decision. 

LIV Golf's Legion XIII duo are now permitted to return to DP World Tour events having appealed against their fines for playing in LIV Golf events without permission this year. 

Related: Jon Rahm's reaction to losing member of LIV Golf team speaks volumes

Rahm and Hatton were eager to get back onto the DP World Tour this season in order to maintain their membership of the DP World Tour and the European Ryder Cup team.

In order to fulfil DP World Tour membership and represent Luke Donald's 2025 European Ryder Cup team, players must compete in at least four regular season events outside of the majors. 

Rahm and Hatton will now both get to do that before the DP World Tour season concludes in Dubai this November. 

They are both scheduled to play in next week's Open de Espana, followed by the Dunhill Links in early October. 

Rahm will also compete in the Andalucia Masters next month too. 

"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.

Another LIV Golf pro who has also appealed a DP World Tour fine is Adrian Meronk, a player who many consider was unfortunate to miss out on a first European Ryder Cup team in Rome last year. 

But in a latest bombshell update dropped by Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig, the Saudi-bankrolled circuit reportedly attempted to strike a deal to pay off all outstanding fines for LIV Golf players looking to get back onto the DP World Tour and keep Ryder Cup bids alive. 

Only those above at the DP World Tour reportedly stood firm and rejected LIV's offer. 

"According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Sports Illustrated has learned that prior to the back-and-forth between Rahm and the DP World Tour last week that saw him appeal his sanctions—allowing him to play in upcoming events—LIV Golf sought to strike a deal with the DP World Tour that would wipe out the penalties for LIV players while offering various concessions and a monetary payout from the league," writes Harig. 

"The DP World Tour, which has its flagship event this week, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, declined the offer."

Harig adds: "The source said that LIV Golf sought a resolution in August that would eliminate the fines and clear the way for LIV players to compete in DP World Tour events without the various restrictions.

"LIV representatives met with DP World Tour officials and proposed schedule adjustments that would assure LIV events would not be played against some of the Tour's more prominent events (such as this week’s LIV Golf Dallas tournament, which is the same time as the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship), an exemption category for DP World Tour players into the 10 International Series events on the Asian Tour that carry $2 million purses, and cash.

"The amount was to be £6m to put towards purses with the ability to add more if needed.

"The offer was rejected."

In response to Harig's article, a DP World Tour spokesman told GolfMagic: "We met with them [LIV] and listened to their proposal but did not accept it, as our view remains that the focus should continue to be on all stakeholders working together to reach an overall solution that benefits our sport."

LIV Golf has reportedly paid in the region of £12m in fines for its players to compete in DP World Tour events. 

One of those players was Bernd Wiesberger, who at last week's Irish Open was disappointed with the DP World Tour for allowing Rahm and Hatton to return back onto the circuit while their fines were still under appeal. 

There is said to be another £10m outstanding in DP World Tour fines for LIV Golf players. 

A source told Harig the DP World Tour is "hurting their own events and their own sponsors as a result of these roadblocks".

It is understood Rahm's current fines with the DP World Tour have reached $1m. 

A decision on the appeals of Rahm, Hatton and Meronk will likely not be reached until the start of 2025. 

The DP World Tour won a UK arbitration hearing in April 2023 that allowed it to enforce penalties on members for their ties to LIV Golf.

Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui, Justin Harding and others had appealed their DP World Tour fines in mid-2022.

After that decision was reached, a number of long-time servants of the former European Tour circuit now on LIV Golf such as Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood all decided to terminate their memberships of the circuit.

Those decisions mean - at least under the current eligibility rules - that none of them will be able to participate or even captain a European Ryder Cup team in the future. 

Many European fans will be hopeful a similar fate does not await two of its two biggest stars right now in Rahm and Hatton, who teamed up to prove a major thorn in the United States side in Rome in 2023. 

If Rahm and Hatton are not punching a ticket to Bethpage Black next September, the 2025 Ryder Cup could prove a very dark week for Team Europe. And even Rory McIlroy knows it.