Jon Rahm’s Ryder Cup future thrown into further doubt but Tyrrell Hatton settles dispute

Tyrrell Hatton has settled his dispute with the DP World Tour over unauthorised appearances for LIV Golf to clear any further hurdles to his Ryder Cup participation but Jon Rahm’s future continues to hang in the balance.

Rahm – the other member of the victorious European team who was appealing against fines imposed for playing in unsanctioned events – remains at odds with the tour and his appeal is continuing.

Both players were able to feature in the victory over the United States at Bethpage in September as the appeal process was, conveniently in many observers’ eyes, regularly pushed back.

But Hatton and fellow tour members Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie, have come to an agreement which will grant them conditional releases to continue playing in the LIV series for 2026 only without further punishment.

All have agreed to pay in full outstanding fines for breaches of tour regulations, participate in additional stipulated DP World Tour tournaments and withdraw all pending appeals.

The same deal was available to Rahm but the Press Association understands he has chosen to pursue his appeal against the sanctions imposed on him and that is scheduled to be heard in the next few months.

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Disciplinary action will continue to be taken against all tour members who play in conflicting LIV events without release.

Other higher-profile LIV Golf players like Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell were not offered the deal as they are no longer tour members.

The move benefits both sides, with the DP World Tour insisting it “will provide additional value... and benefit to the entire membership”.

It also represents another step in the recent direction of travel which has seen the PGA Tour rewrite its rules to allow Brooks Koepka to rejoin after quitting LIV and Patrick Reed opt not to renew his contract with the Saudi breakaway and play on the DP World Tour while he waits for his mandatory suspension from the PGA Tour to expire in August.