After being snubbed by the DP World Tour from getting permission to play in LIV Golf, Jon Rahm was understandably furious. After all, he was the only one left out among the other European stars. However, Michael Kim feels the Spaniard is ignorant, as he is not the only one who was mistreated.

Responding to No Laying Up reporting Rahm’s statement, Kim wrote, “LIV didn’t even let Richard Bland defend his Senior open title lol.”

Bland had won the U.S. Senior Open and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in 2024. He was still contracted with LIV Golf when he participated in and triumphed in those events. The PGA of America invited him to join the field.

However, they didn’t allow him to return as a defending champion the following season.

Bland was barred from the tournament after he played in unauthorized LIV Golf events, per the PGA of America regulations. That caused a huge stir in the community with fans demanding criteria for his selection the first time he was allowed to play.

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But Jon Rahm’s case is not the same.

Unlike Bland, he still competes at a professional level with tougher competition. Considering his influence, he would certainly draw a larger fanbase. However, Rahmbo has also been quite aggressively ignoring the fines.

Rahm had repeatedly stated that he would not pay the $3 million penalty of the DP World Tour. And he has his own logic.

“Two years ago, I was asked to appeal the fines, so they could figure this out. I did, and we’re running into more problems right now… I don’t know what game they’re trying to play. They’re using our impact in tournaments and fining us. (The DP World Tour is) trying to benefit both ways from what we have to offer, and it’s just, in a way, they’re extorting players like myself and young players that have nothing to do with the politics of the game. So I don’t like the situation, and I’m not going to agree to that.”

But the two-time major champion got called out by netizens for his persistence in ignoring the fines. And he paid the price after the European Tour executives decided to grant multi-league access to eight LIV Golf pros, but left the Spaniard out.

But fans weren’t the only ones to advise Rahm to get rid of the penalties.

Golf colleagues ask Jon Rahm not to make a bad mistake

As things were heating up in the DP World Tour, Jon Rahm’s future outside LIV Golf seemed uncertain with every passing day. So there were quite a few from the golf world who advised him not to let go of his membership.

Smylie Kaufman said, “I understand why they would be so frustrated by all this. But they also know that there are rules in place that, from a competitive standpoint. If you’re a member of this tour, you can’t go join a rival tour. There’s rules in place just like in any other business.”

The DP World Tour has always had its regulations clear, even before LIV Golf existed.

It only became extortion when it was inconvenient to play the minimum required tournaments and pay the fines.

Rory McIlroy also warned Rahm, saying that the fines won’t magically disappear.

With his Ryder Cup position at stake, the Spaniard can set an example by paying the DP World Tour to play in the event.