Smith: "I'm not sure what planet Jon Rahm is on right now, but it's clearly not Earth"

So Jon Rahm desperately wants to play the Ryder Cup. 

We know this because he told us this was at the forefront of his mind as he pondered joining the LIV Golf League last December. 

As Rahm described during the Olympic Games, the biennial showdown between Europe and the United States is one of two events in his schedule that are the most meaningful (the other being the Games). 

But Jon Rahm doesn't want to pay to play the Ryder Cup. 

We know this because he told us in a news conference in Chicago that he doesn't intend to pay the fines he's racked up since joining LIV. 

Rahm has since improved his chances of playing in next September's showdown in New York by appealing the fines at the last minute. 

The news was welcomed by European captain Luke Donald, who explained that Rahm was 'on the fence' about doing so. 

But this mess is entirely Rahm's fault and he should know better. 

I'm not sure what planet Rahm is on at the moment, but it's clearly not Earth. 

"I'm not a big fan of the fines. I've been outspoken about the fines. I don't intend to pay the fines and we keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen." - Jon Rahm

It was all about the money

At this point in golf's Civil War™, it's clearer than ever this was all about the dollar bill. 

It was about money for the players. 

It was about money for the PGA Tour. 

It was about money for the DP World Tour. 

It was about money for the sponsors. 

And it was about money for Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. 

Jon Rahm was aware of this. 

When Rahm signed his reported £450m ($566.4m) LIV contract, he will have surely harboured hopes that a deal would come to pass to unite the tours so he could have his cake and eat it. 

He also displayed a huge level of arrogance before the 2024 Masters when he declared he thought his move would have been the tipping point. 

But nothing is certain and in the men's game we all know there is only one person who moves the needle. 

And that person is now 48 years old and has trouble getting round 72 holes. 

So, in the absence of an agreement, surely it's no surprise that the DP World Tour and PGA Tour would continue to try and protect their commercial interests?

Jon Rahm knew this. 

Jon Rahm knew when he didn't resign his DP World Tour card that he was going to rack up fines. 

More to the point, wasn't this supposed to be part of the plan all along? 

Pay up and shut up, despite how you may feel privately. 

This weekend Rahm will compete for an $18m bonus. 

On the course, he's won $12,738,154. 

So why the stroppy teenager act? 

It's baffling. 

Making things worse, in my opinion, is the lack of acknowledgement that LIV also has rules. 

Does Rahm ever talk about this?

The answer, unequivocally, is no. 

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