Jon Rahm ready to ruin Ryder Cup legacy over two weeks of golf and moral principles

Jon Rahm was standing over a 33ft eagle putt when his Ryder Cup playing partner whispered eight words in his ear.

It’s 2023 in Rome and the putt must drop from off the green for Rahm and Nicolai Hojgaard to halve their match against Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler.

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Hojgaard asked the Spaniard: “What would Seve do? Do it for Seve.”

The putt dropped at an almost-impossible pace, only adding to the feeling that Europe play with a 13th man on the team.

Ballesteros’ spirit remains the beating heart of every European team, and Rahm, who wears that on his sleeve, suggested afterwards that the late golfing legend helped pull the ball towards the hole.

Every two years, golf fans are fed the narrative that Europe play for something bigger than themselves, against a group of individualistic, money-grabbing Americans.

The funny thing is, Ballesteros – while his Ryder Cup heroics are rightly heralded as legendary – gave up his spot on the team in 1981 after a row over appearance fees on the European Tour.

In recent years, his Spanish successor Sergio Garcia burned bridges with the tour and handed in his membership after a row that followed his move to LIV Golf, effectively ending his Ryder Cup career (although he did briefly re-join the tour in 2024).

Politics have dominated Europe’s relationship with its most famous players just as much as the Americans – we just have a better PR team.

We tend not to talk about Ballesteros’ complicated relationship with the European Tour, choosing instead to remember his incredible performance in the ‘War by the Shore’, or his inspirational role as captain at Valderrama – both of which came after the arguments.

Rory McIlroy has been brought to tears thinking about Ballesteros and the Ryder Cup, yet he doesn’t feel that way about Garcia or Ian Poulter, two modern legends who arguably contributed just as much.

Time will tell whether Garcia or Poulter get the chance to make amends, but given they are currently excluded from the event, those wonderful memories seem somewhat tainted.

Because legacy – fairly or unfairly – is deeply informed by recency bias and the last things that you do.

Rahm has three Ryder Cup victories to his name, an outrageous individual record of 9-5-3 and a remarkable highlights reel of spectacular moments.

But he appears ready to be remembered as the man who would not play an extra two events on the DP World Tour in order to play for Team Europe.

So if the question is, ‘What would Seve do?’ It is hard to believe this is the answer.

What’s going on with Rahm?

The two-time major winner has been at the centre of a legal battle over his move to LIV Golf.

Players who defected without a release from the DP World Tour were subsequently given fines and suspensions, although Rahm was still able to play in the minimum four events needed to be eligible for the 2025 Ryder Cup.

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He appealed the decision – and until that appeal gets heard – more than £2million in outstanding fines will remain unpaid.

The DP World Tour recently settled with eight LIV Golfers, including Hatton, granting them releases on the basis that they will pay the fines, drop their appeals, and compete in six events.

But Rahm is unwilling to settle on those terms and guarantee his eligibility for the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland.

“I don’t like what they’re doing currently with the contract they’re having us sign,” Rahm said on Tuesday.

“I don’t like the conditions. They’re asking me to play a minimum of six events, and they dictate where two of those have to be, among other things that I don’t agree with.

“I did tell them, funny enough, lower that to four events, like the minimum says, and I’ll sign tonight. They haven’t agreed to that. I just refuse to play six events. I don’t want to, and that’s not what the rules say.

“I don’t know what game they’re trying to play right now, but it just seems like in a way they’re using our impact in tournaments and fining us and trying to benefit both ways from what we have to offer.

“And it’s just in a way they’re extorting players like myself and young players that have nothing to do with the politics of the game.”

Put your pride aside

LIV Golf have agreed to foot the bill for any fines dating back to before the start of this yet – so Rahm’s astronomical bank balance is safe.

It means this is all about principles: he does not believe the DP World Tour can order him where to play for two weeks of the year.

The tour will likely be forced to stand their ground or be accused of double standards.

And with legal precedent already in place for Rahm’s appeal, after sanctions for Garcia, Poulter and Lee Westwood were upheld, there have to be serious doubts over Rahm’s place at Adare Manor in 18 months.

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We are hurtling towards a scenario where one of Europe’s best players resigns and becomes ineligible for the Ryder Cup.

That is unless he can do what all European players are told to do – and leave his pride at the door.

Rahm took a gamble when he joined LIV Golf. He took the money, reportedly more than £300m, at a time when it appeared the golfing world was about to reunify. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

There was always a risk that he would have to live in a world where there were no Official World Ranking Points and no access to the established tours – that’s what the money is for.

It’s why the price of defection was so high and it’s why so many players said no. Rahm said yes.

Unlike the first wave of LIV Golf recruits, Rahm also had a better idea of the potential consequences when he joined several months later.

What Rahm is actually being offered here is quite a fortunate escape route.

Pay your fines, play in these six events (four of which you like anyway), and we can pretend this never happened.

The PGA Tour also extended an olive branch to Rahm after rules were implemented to facilitate Brooks Koepka’s return.

McIlroy recently challenged Rahm to put his money where his mouth is and prove that Team Europe would pay for the privilege to play in the Ryder Cup.

There can be no doubt that the Ryder Cup means a great deal to Rahm and only a fool would argue otherwise.

But does it matter more than his own personal ego? Apparently not.