Just a couple of days ago, Jon Rahm confirmed that he will not be playing any more events on the European Tour this year. The Spanish star won’t tee it up again until February 2026, meaning no Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship or DP World Tour Championship. For the first time since 2016, Rahm could end a season without a win. And according to insiders, his decision is sending ripples far beyond his own schedule.

The tension stems from the unpaid fines Rahm accumulated while playing LIV Golf events. On a recent Fried Egg Golf podcast, Brendan Porath called the situation “precarious,” explaining how Rahm has refused to cover penalties even when LIV offered to pay. “Every time Rahm is playing LIV events, he’s incurring running up the tab, and LIV has said in 26 they’re going to stop paying those fines.” Brendan explained that even though LIV offered to pay, Jon was adamant about not paying despite showing strong support for the European Tour. This brought up an important question.

“Does Rahm think that him being ruled out of a Ryder Cup will force the DP World Tour’s hand to roll back their prior positions?” Rahm is certainly a prolific player in the sport. He is also one of the best candidates for Team Europe in the Ryder Cup. But does his influence match the sway of the likes of Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy? Regardless, the European Tour can’t risk sidelining him from the Ryder Cup. Interestingly, Rahm tried to pull the same stunt last year when he moved to LIV Golf.

“He went to LIV as a tipping point that would force both sides to come together. I don’t think he expected that the framework agreement would not be consummated in some way after he left. He thought he might be able to come back and play in dual Tours.” At the time, Rahm really thought that he had the reputation to change the tide in the conversation. However, things didn’t pan out as he had hoped for.

As Brendan suggested, he may have expected playing on both the Tours after making them collaborate with each other. But since there is no merger, he is only stuck with playing for Legion XIII and LIV Golf at the moment. In fact, Brian Rolapp’s recent press conference has suggested that the merger is not a priority for the PGA Tour right now as it’s focused on nurturing its own talent. Jon Rahm is not a part of that roster.

Speaking of keeping Rahm out of the DP World Tour, Brendan also said, “When you’re talking about a precedent that’s been put down with the prior players from the arbitration panel ruling, we could be in a position where someone’s got to budge. Whether it’s the PGA Tour figuring it out with LIV between now and 2027, Rahm paying his fines, or the DP World Tour walking back on their ruling. Either way, it feels like a precarious position. It just feels like we’re at a crossroads, and it’s at the point where it’s hurting some of the golf consumers.”

Rahm’s situation is unusual and demands a response from one of the key players. Whether that’s Team Europe, the DP World Tour, or the PGA Tour. Someone will need to step in to bring him back into the fold. If not, Rahm may have no choice but to pay the $1 million fine himself to safeguard his European Tour status and keep a shot at Adare Manor in 2027.

So what gave Rahm the confidence that he could unite LIV Golf and the PGA Tour? Brandel Chamblee thinks he knows the answer.

Chamblee reveals why Jon Rahm tried to enforce a merger

Jon Rahm was certainly the biggest star in golf when he left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. But was he that influential that he could bring both the leagues together? Well, Brandel Chamblee thinks that the Spaniard was made to believe that he could.

During a podcast with Trey Wingo, the critical analyst said, “A lot of players out there were misled, thinking that they were going to be the impetus to change. Amongst them and at the top of that heap was Jon Rahm. Misled, probably by Phil Mickelson, maybe by Greg Norman.”

According to Chamblee, Phil Mickelson & Greg Norman told Rahm that he was “such a monumental star” that he could turn the tide and make it happen. However, neither the merger went through, nor did LIV Golf events get sanctioned in 2024.

They have remained consistent in maintaining their TV ratings, but as far as Jon Rahm goes, he has failed to grab a single individual win in 2025. Despite that, he is winning big with a great contract, the individual championship title for the season, and the 2025 team championship title with Legion XIII.