DP World Tour grant releases to play on LIV Golf, but Rahm not included, plunging his future into doubt
- SHANK
- Feb 21
- 3 min read
In another potentially momentous moment for the future of men's professional golf the DP World Tour has announced that 8 members have been granted conditional releases to play on LIV Golf for the 2026 season. In a statement the Tour said: The DP World Tour has granted conditional releases to eight members to play in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf during the 2026 season.
Each member has accepted the conditions specified by the DP World Tour for their release, which include:
Payment in full of all outstanding fines for breaches of the DP World Tour’s Regulations.
Participation in additional stipulated DP World Tour tournaments, as well as associated media activity and promotion
Withdrawal of all pending appeals.
The members who have been granted conditional releases are: Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie.
Jon Rahm has presumably refused to pay the fines, or decided not to meet the other conditions of the release, which immediately puts his Ryder Cup future in doubt. It may also cast doubt over his future with LIV Golf, especially as these releases apply only for the 2026 season. Is Rahm waiting it out to leave LIV Golf ahead of the 2027 season?
This would give him full status on the DP World Tour in 2027, and likely the PGA TOUR, enabling him to play in enough events to earn points and qualify automatically for the European Ryder Cup to play at Adare Manor next September.
OR, is Rahm hoping to appeal the fines successfully and fulfil the regular conditions of DP World Tour membership? Rahm barely played an additional DP World Tour event in 2025, only appearing at the Open de Espana, BMW PGA Championship and Hero Dubai Desert Classic, in addition to the Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and The Open.
Since he joined LIV Golf in 2023 Rahm has only played a total of 6 regular DP World Tour events. To be eligible for the European Ryder Cup team you have to be a member of the DP World Tour, so no matter how many OWGR points he accrues on LIV Golf, he will not be eligible if he doesn't fulfil the membership criteria. This is why it surely has to be a credible view that Rahm is holding out and aims to leave LIV Golf in 2027, which would be a huge blow to the league, no question.
Additionally the DP World Tour said: The conditions these members have accepted will provide additional value to the DP World Tour and benefit to the entire membership. Provided each member satisfies the conditions of their individual releases, no disciplinary action under the Regulations will be taken against them for playing in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf in 2026 and they will retain their membership status.
The releases apply for the 2026 season only and they are not precedent-setting. Requests for releases will continue to be considered on their individual merits in accordance with the Regulations that all members agree to abide by.
Tyrrell Hatton plays more regularly on the DP World Tour in any case, playing six times between the end of the 2025 LIV Golf season and the start of the 2026 season. Hatton has played 13 regular DP World Tour events since joining Rahm's Legion XIII at the start of the 2024 season, which is more than double the number Rahm himself has played in.
The releases in general are good news for both the DP World Tour (who will likely see these players playing more their 'Back 9' events in the autumn), and for the LIV Golf League. Whilst they say this not precedent-setting, it is clear that we will see additional DP World Tour members approached by teams on LIV Golf and it may pave the way towards a more formal arrangement in the future.
The OMEGA European Masters, AMGEN Irish Open, BMW PGA Championship, Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, FedEx Open de France, Open de Espana, DP World India Championship and Genesis Championship may all benefit, as well as the first events of the 2027 season including the Nedbank Golf Challenge and Crown Australian Open.
SHANK, by Matt Hooper
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