Rory McIlroy has responded to Jon Rahm’s claims that the DP World Tour is “extorting players” with a pointed warning for the former world No.1’s Ryder Cup future.

The European-based Tour came to an agreement with eight LIV players last month to play more DP World Tour events in return for their release to play on LIV as well as their fines being paid.

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Rahm did not see eye-to-eye however, telling reporters in Hong Kong ahead of this week’s LIV event that he disagreed with the terms – namely being asked to play a minimum of six European events, two of which are determined by the tour, to keep his membership.

In McIlroy’s eyes, it is a small price to pay.

“In my opinion, it’s a really generous deal,” McIlroy told reporters at the Bay Hill Club ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“Like it’s a much softer deal than what Brooks [Koepka] took to come back and play on the PGA Tour.

“Look, the European Tour can only do so much to accommodate these guys. So, if you want to play on the Ryder Cup you have to be a member of the DP World Tour. You have to be a member of the DP World Tour, you have to abide by the rules and regulations. And the rules and regulations were, okay, if you break the media rights agreement and you go and play in a conflicting event, you don’t get a release, you’re subject to fines. So the guys didn’t want to pay these fines, that’s fine.

“So then the European Tour said, okay, let’s try to come up with some sort of solution where you don’t have to pay the fines, so that we can ease that burden on you, but still retain your membership.

“There’s a reason eight of the nine guys took that deal, right. I think it’s a really good deal. Yeah, obviously Jon doesn’t think so, and he’s obviously well within his rights to think that way. But I just don’t see what more the European Tour can do to accommodate these guys to retain their membership.”

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FILE – Jon Rahm, left, of Spain, talks with Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, on the practice range during a practice round in preparation for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)Source: AP

For McIlroy the biggest frustration from the Rahm situation is that the Spaniard is potentially jeopardising his place on the European Ryder Cup team.

It was announced overnight that Luke Donald will take on the captaincy for a third time at Ireland’s Adare Manor next year.

McIlroy described Donald’s appointment as “amazing” and said “it’s obviously a huge advantage for the European team to have that continuity and that consistency”.

“I was sort of banging on that drum going into Bethpage. And we’ll have it even more so again, you know,” he added.

Now, the Masters champion is eager for the players from European team that has won the last two editions of the biennial tournament against the United States of America to stick together.

But stressed that if Rahm does not play ball, they will push on without him.

“The Ryder Cup is bigger than any one person. It’s bigger than all of us,” McIlroy said.

“We come and go. Players are—we pass through the system. Like, it’s the platform that’s the big thing.

“I think we should all be grateful that we have a platform like the Ryder Cup that we can play on and that we can showcase our skills and be a part of something that’s obviously way bigger than ourselves. So at the end of the day it’s about the team and no one player is bigger than the team.”

PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 21: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks to the media after his round during the third round of The Genesis Invitational 2026 at Riviera Country Club on February 21, 2026 in Pacific Palisades, California. Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Orlando Ramirez / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)Source: AFP

The likes of Rahm’s LIV and Ryder Cup teammate Tyrell Hatton as well as Australian young gun Elvis Smylie all agreed to the deal with the DP World Tour.

It means they will not face penalties for playing in Hong Kong this week, while the Joburg Open is played in South Africa.

It also means that the Ryder Cup door remains open to Hatton and for fellow Europeans Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez and David Puig.

McIlroy stressed that, unlike Rahm, they could see the benefit of playing two extra events to avoid fines or needing a release to play on LIV.

“Which isn’t a heavy lift,” McIlroy said. “I mean, to retain your membership is four events on the DP World Tour outside of the major championships. And that to me doesn’t seem … yes, maybe the European Tour gets to have a say in where those two events are, but I mean, I’m sure Jon doesn’t want to go to South Africa [in two weeks for a LIV event] but he’s going there.

“He signed a contract for LIV and he plays 14 events and the whole thing. Like I get all that. But the DP World Tour is well within its rights to protect itself as a members organisation and as a business. And if you asked any DP World Tour member about the deal that they have cut with the LIV guys they would, I think they would all say that it was pretty generous.

“So again, there’s a reason that eight of the nine took it, because they probably think the same thing, and one guy thinks a little differently, and that’s a shame.”