Tensions between LIV Golf and the DP World Tour have increased since the Saudi-backed league decided not to pay LIV golfers’ fines for competing in conflicting events. Many, including the former World No. 1 Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, have opposed paying those fines. However, LIV Golf pro David Puig has a slightly different view about all this as compared to the Spaniard.

“In my case, I want to be part of the tour, so I’ll do everything I can to keep being part of it. If that makes paying whatever amount, I’ll do it,” Puig told reporters at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on Friday.

David Puig expressed a strong commitment to retaining his DP World Tour membership by paying the fines. The Spanish pro has been consistently playing a few events on the tour for the past 2 years. In 2024, he participated in 4 events, in addition to 3 majors. This included the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition, the Spanish Open, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

He then played 5 events and a major on the DP World Tour. In the 2026 campaign, he seems to be playing even more regularly. Puig has already participated in 3 events: the BMW Australian PGA Championship, the Crown Australian Open, and the Dubai Invitational. The rising interest suggests why David Puig wants to retain his card.

On the contrary, Jon Rahm has opposed the fines from the very start.

“I’m not a big fan of the fines. I don’t intend to pay the fines and we keep trying to have a discussion with them [the DP World Tour] about how we can make this happen,” the Spaniard said at LIV Chicago event in 2024.

Despite not paying the fines, Jon Rahm intended to play at the 2024 Spanish Open and the 2025 Ryder Cup. His stance has not changed until now. On the Golf’s Subpar podcast, he said he still doesn’t intend to pay the DP World Tour fines, which are now around $3 million. The reason he gave is that the tour penalizes him for every conflicting event, even the ones he never had any intention of playing.

“I wouldn’t have played in the DP World Tour events for which I have been punished for conflicting with, had I moved to LIV Golf or not,” he said.

Jon Rahm even said that “something drastic needs to happen” for him to not play the Spanish Open. His comments hint that he still intends to play on the DP World Tour despite the fines. And he can do so until there’s a decision made by the tour about his fines.

Both Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton opposed their fines. Since no decision has been made until now, both were eligible to play in the 2025 Ryder Cup and can also play on the DP World Tour. Many, including Henrik Stenson, Thomas Detry, and Adrian Meronk, have criticized the fines and their inconsistencies. But amid all the chaos, Jon Rahm still doesn’t want to pay up, despite fellow Ryder Cup star Rory McIlroy asking him to.

Top Stories

Scottie Scheffler Injures Fan in the Head at American Express as Painful Moment Is Caught on Camera

‘Hideous’: Jason Day Sparks Outrage With Outfit Choice at PGA Tour Season Debut

Prayers Pour in for PGA Tour Champions Star as Cancer Diagnosis Comes to Light

Gary Player Pays 11-Word Tribute to Jack Nicklaus at Legend’s 86th Birthday: ‘Greatest Rival’

Tiger Woods’ Arch-Rival Fights Back After Being Accused of Snatching PGA Tour Spot from Deserving Pros

Rory McIlroy asks Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to pay up the fines

Rory McIlroy has publicly urged Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm to pay their outstanding DP World Tour fines. He framed it as a test of their commitment to Team Europe and future Ryder Cup eligibility. The Spaniard could lose Ryder Cup eligibility for 2027 if the DP World Tour decides against him.

“We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups. There are two guys that can prove it,” McIlroy said at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

The Northern Irishman even earned backing from some professionals, including Lee Westwood, of all people. Westwood, himself an LIV golfer, has resigned his DP World Tour membership to play on LIV Golf. After Rory McIlroy’s remarks on Jon Rahm, Westwood took to X and said that his views are correct. He was not talking about the fines, though, but about setting a hearing date.

Westwood said that the DP World Tour should set a date to make a judgment. Until an official announcement is made, the confusion will persist. So setting a date and making a final call makes more sense according to him.

As the divide between LIV Golf and the DP World Tour continues, David Puig’s willingness to shoulder the cost highlights a stark contrast in how players are choosing to protect their place in the game’s traditional structures. Until the DP World Tour makes a formal ruling, the uncertainty about fines will remain a defining storyline for Europe’s top events.