Jon Rahm is willing to play the required number of DP World Tour events to remain eligible for next year's Ryder Cup on Long Island.
But being fined for participating in a conflicting LIV golf event seems to be a line Rahm is unwilling to cross.
Rahm told reporters at a news conference ahead of this week's LIV Golf Chicago event that he has registered for the DP World Tour's Spanish Open and plans to play two other events to meet the requirements to qualify for the Ryder Cup.
Whether the DP Tour would allow him to participate is another question, as Rahm has yet to pay the fine associated with participating in LIV golf events unless he signs a conflict event waiver.
“I'm in the race. We did it a long time ago,” Rahm said. “Whether they let me play or not is another matter. I'm not a big fan of fines. I think I've made that clear. I'm not going to pay the fine and we've been trying to talk to them about how to make that happen.”
“I've said many times that I'm not playing the Spanish Open for the honor or anything. I think it's my duty to play in Spanish golf and I want to play in Sotogrande. At that point, not letting me play would almost be a disservice not only to me but to Spanish golf, so, yes, that's why we're trying to talk to them and make it happen.”
Rahm said he also wants to play the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews, Scotland, in early October and the Andalucia Masters at the Royal Golf Club in Sotogrande, Spain, later this month.
The DP World Tour told Sports Illustrated in a statement that Rahm and his representatives were aware of the rules and that “until he pays his fine, he is ineligible to compete on the DP World Tour.”
Playing in these tournaments is part of Rahm's efforts to maintain his DP World Tour membership to continue qualifying for the Ryder Cup.
To achieve that goal, he must play four tournaments this year other than the majors (the Olympic golf tournament counts as one), and if he fails to do that, he won't be able to participate in the European vs. American golf showdown at Bethpage Black.
In an interview with The Washington Post last month on the eve of the U.S. Open in Queens, Rahm raved about the famous Long Island golf course and hopes to play in the Ryder Cup next September.
“It's something really special,” Rahm said during a chat at a luxury New York hotel. “It's going to be a lot of fun. It's going to be absolutely incredible. Hopefully, I can be part of the team.”
As for the course, he called the site of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens a “monster.”
Even if Rahm remains eligible for the Ryder Cup, he might need European captain Luke Donald to use one of his six captain's picks to select him.
Rahm's Legion XIII team finished second among LIV Golf teams, behind Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC team.
The team championships will be held next week in Texas.