Europe’s Ryder Cup qualification rules will not be changed to accommodate LIV golfers Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton for next year’s match against the United States, captain Luke Donald has told BBC Sport.
Spain’s Rahm and England’s Hatton have switched to play on the Saudi-funded LIV circuit since superbly teaming up to help Europe regain the trophy with a dramatic victory in Rome last autumn.
But while they have said they want to play in the September 2025 match at New York’s Bethpage Black, Donald confirmed they “have to play their four” DP World Tour events this season to at least retain their eligibility.
Donald has welcomed Hatton’s decision to play this week’s British Masters – which marks the start of the 2025 Ryder Cup qualification process – but Rahm will not be at The Belfry in Warwickshire.
Hatton is competing after lodging an appeal against the sanctions imposed for playing LIV events without a release from the Wentworth-based circuit.
It is understood he has served the required suspensions, and payment of any fines is stayed until the outcome of his appeal.
“I want the biggest pool of players I can to choose from,” said Donald.
“There are some rules and regulations that players, whether on LIV or the DP World Tour, have to satisfy and I’m glad Tyrrell is satisfying his. I know he’s planning on playing a few more events over the next few months.”
Donald would ‘dearly love’ Rahm to play
Speaking in the immediate aftermath of Rahm’s seismic move to LIV last December, Rory McIlroy said the European tour “is going to have to rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup eligibility” because “we’d certainly miss and need Jon at Bethpage”.
Europe were thrashed 19-9 at Whistling Straits on their last visit to the US in 2021, and although a 16½-11½ victory in Rome avenged that defeat – with Rahm and Hatton going unbeaten from their four matches – 2025’s Ryder Cup in New York promises to be another tough assignment.
However, Donald told BBC Sport on Tuesday that “there’s not going to be a situation where we’re singling out one person to change the rule”.
He added: “It’s quite clear with the policy that you either pay the fines or you can appeal them, and within that appeal time you can still play some DP World Tour events, so Jon absolutely knows what is required.
“He wants to play a few events and be eligible. I hope he does either pay the fines, or appeals and becomes eligible for my team because I would dearly love to have him be a part of that.”
Rahm has two LIV events left to play this year, in Chicago from 13-15 September and Dallas a week later.
When announcing his move to LIV in December, Rahm spoke about wanting to keep his DP World Tour membership and how “important the Spanish Open is” to him.
He has won the event a record three times and this year’s is being held from 26-29 September in Madrid, with the Andalucia Masters also taking place in his home country in October.
Qualification ‘adjusted for changing landscape’
The European qualification process has been altered for this edition of the Ryder Cup with just one points list. The top six will qualify for the 12-strong team with Donald again having six wildcard selections.
“We had to adjust for the changing landscape,” said Donald, referring to the fact that the top 10 eligible DP World Tour players at the end of the season will be awarded PGA Tour cards.
“A lot of the strongest players will play predominantly in the US, but we wanted to make sure that people were still supporting the DP World Tour so we’ve boosted a little bit the points for the guys who are playing predominantly on that tour.
“It’s a points system that’s going to give the six strongest players, and then we have the six picks for flexibility to round out the team.”
