February 22, 2026; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Rory McIlroy reacts after missing a putt on the 14th green during the final round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Image Rory McIlroy has outlined the DP World Tour requirements for Jon Rahm to maintain membership and believes the Team Europe Ryder Cup train will continue to move forward if the Spaniard decides not to come on board in 2028.
Lam made it clear earlier this week that he remains very much at odds with European golf decision-makers who refused to release him from his contractual obligations as he prepares for LIV Hong Kong. Rahm, one of nine LIV golfers in trouble, was the only holdout who did not accept the terms of his DP World Tour release, which reportedly included a $3 million fine and additional appearances at tour events.
“I don’t know what game they’re trying to play now,” Lam said. “But it seems their way is to exploit our influence in the tournament and fine us and both profit from what we have to offer. And that’s just their way of robbing players like me and young players who have nothing to do with the politics of the game.”
McIlroy shared the opposite view while attending several tournaments in Europe after the PGA Tour season ended.
“I think it’s a really generous deal. I think it’s a much softer deal than what Brooks (Kepka) took to come back and play on the PGA Tour,” McIlroy said Wednesday at Bay Hill Golf Club in Florida, site of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. “Look, the European Tour can only do so much to accommodate these people. So, you know, if you want to play in the Ryder Cup, you have to be a member of the DP World Tour. You have to be a member of the DP World Tour, and you have to comply with the rules and regulations. And the rules and regulations were, ‘Okay, if you break the media rights agreement and go to an event that conflicts, you won’t be released, you’ll be fined.’ So people didn’t want to pay the fine. That’s fine.
“So the European Tour said, ‘Okay, let’s try to find some kind of solution where you don’t have to pay the fine, and we can take the burden off of you and still keep your membership.’ And I thought… look, there’s a reason eight out of nine people took that deal, right? I think it’s a really good deal. Yeah, obviously Jon doesn’t think that way, and he’s certainly entitled to think that way. But I think the European Tour has to do more to keep these guys’ memberships. “I don’t know if I can work.”
If the rift remains unresolved, Lahm, 31, could be left out of the Ryder Cup team.
“I don’t like what they are doing now with the contract they made us sign. I don’t like the terms,” Rahm said. “They are asking me to play at least six events, two of which are telling me where to be, which is, more than anything, I don’t agree with.”
McIlroy disagrees that the DP World Tour is a stumbling block in getting a say in which events will qualify under the terms of the contract release. He said it came down to agreeing to two additional events.
“It’s not a heavy burden,” McIlroy continued. “What I mean is, you need four events on the DP World Tour in addition to the major championships to maintain your membership. And that seems unlikely to me. Yeah, okay, maybe the European Tour will have a say in where those two events are. But I mean, I’m sure John doesn’t want to go to South Africa next week, but he’ll be there (for LIV Golf).
“He has a contract with LIV and plays all 14 events, as I understand it all. But the DP World Tour has the right to protect itself as a membership organization and as a business. And if you ask any DP World Tour member about their contracts with LIV employees, they will all tell you that they have been pretty generous. And again, there is a reason why eight out of nine chose it, because they probably think the same thing and one thinks a little bit. It would be a shame to say otherwise.”
McIlroy touted Luke Donald’s return as Team Europe captain as a “big advantage” for the team due to continuity and chemistry.
“I’m really excited to have Luke back. There’s not a player or person behind the scenes that helps Ryder Cup Europe that’s not happy that Luke has agreed to come back and do it again,” McIlroy said.
There’s a lot of ground to cover before Rahm’s Ryder Cup issues are resolved. However, McIlroy expects Team Europe to advance either way.
“The Ryder Cup is bigger than any one person. It’s bigger than all of us,” he said. “We come and we go. Players go through the system. The platform is the most important thing. I mean, I think we should all be thankful that we have a platform like the Ryder Cup where we can play and showcase our skills and obviously be a part of something that’s much bigger than us. So at the end of the day, it’s about the team and no player is bigger than the team.”
–Field level media
