At 2 pm on Thursday, Jon Rahm will hit his first shot on the European Tour since he signed a billion-kronor contract with LIV at the end of last year.
It's a controversial comeback surrounded by question marks.
The Spanish golf star and former world number one is required to pay a fine to the European Tour (now DP World Tour). But instead of paying, Rahm has filed an appeal, and while waiting for it to be processed, he is free to play in front of his home crowd outside Madrid this week.
Needs three tournaments
In addition to this week's tournament, Jon Rahm is also registered for the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland and the Andalucía Masters, both in October. This means he will reach the minimum number of tournaments required to retain his membership on the tour – and potentially be eligible for the Ryder Cup next year.
But it partly depends on Rahm's appeal, which will be handled by an independent panel. According to Guy Kinnings, CEO of the European Tour, it may take a long time before a decision is made.
There is no given formula for the process, so we can only wait and see how long it takes for the appeal to be processed, says Kinnings to The Guardian.
Others in the same situation
In parallel, negotiations are also ongoing between representatives of the major tours, seeking an agreement that could reunite men's golf again. If an agreement is reached, the question remains how the European Tour and PGA Tour will treat players who previously jumped to the Saudi Arabia-financed LIV tour.
Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, who has several times been a successful teammate to Rahm in the Ryder Cup, has also appealed the fine and is playing in Spain this week. The same applies to Pole Adrian Meronk.
The Ryder Cup will be decided outside New York in September next year. Maybe with Jon Rahm on the European team.
Born: November 10, 1994, in Barrika, Spain.
Main achievements: Won the US Open in 2021 and the US Masters in 2023. Has been world number one for a total of 52 weeks, most recently last spring.
Current status: Signed with LIV Tour at the end of last year and is now making his first start on the European Tour since then. Arrived in Madrid on Wednesday, after his third child with his wife Kelley was born at the beginning of the week.
