Jon Rahm vows Ryder return, plans 'to be at Bethpage'

Jon Rahm vows to be part of Team Europe when the Ryder Cup begins this fall while he awaits the appeal of his DP World Tour fines assessed for playing in LIV Golf events.

The next Ryder Cup will be played Sept. 26-28 at the Bethpage Black Golf Course in Farmingdale, N.Y.

"I don't know what's going to happen in the future but I can tell you my plan is to be on that team at Bethpage," Rahm said Tuesday in Dubai ahead of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club.

"I don't know what's going to happen, and I'm hoping they don't try to settle the appeal before the Ryder Cup. I don't think that would be good for anybody. But my plan is to be at Bethpage."

Rahm earned three points for Team Europe in the dominant 2023 Ryder Cup win in Rome prior to joining LIV Golf. The 30-year-old Spaniard is a two-time major winner (2023 Masters, 2021 U.S. Open).

Team Europe can consider Rahm for the event if he makes four starts on the DP World Tour. During the appeal of sanctions by the tour handed down in September, Rahm is allowed to play in DP World Tour events. Poland's Adrian Meronk and Tyrrell Hatton of England are appealing their own sanctions.

The current European points standings are led by Rory McIlroy with 792.07 points. He's the defending champion at this week's event, which is sanctioned by the DP World Tour. Rahm, the individual champion on the LIV Golf circuit last season, ranks 17th (275.8) in the standings used to determine Europe's Ryder Cup roster.

Rahm is not holding out hope that he'll be admitted to the Ryder Cup by virtue of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour finding common ground in their lagging merger talks.

"It's hard to tell at this point," Rahm said of whether he thinks there will be movement in the LIV-PGA negotations. "I think a lot of us would say that when that framework agreement was done over a year and a half ago, things would be further along at this point. And it's real hard to know what goes on behind closed doors, right? It's up to people much higher up than me.

"I don't know what their vision is or what they are expecting out of it, right? I think so many of us want some kind of resolution to come together and get the best product possible for the consumer, which is what I think we're still in a position to do."

Europe's 2025 Ryder Cup roster won't be completed until August but will start with the top six in total points as automatic qualifiers after the conclusion of the Betfred British Masters on Aug. 24. European captain Luke Donald also will make six captain's picks.

--Field Level Media