New DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings says Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton can remain eligible for Ryder Cup selection next year - as long as they abide by the rules such as paying fines and serving bans for joining LIV Golf.
Insisting it's not a loophole, Kinnings added that both Rahm and Hatton would still need to play four DP World Tour-backed events required for everyone to retain their membership.
Rahm's move was a seismic one back in December, with his good friend and fellow 2023 Ryder Cup winner Hatton following and joining his new Legion XIII team in the LIV Golf League.
Rory McIlroy has been among the voices calling for qualification rules to be amended so Rahm could be included in Luke Donald's European team for Bethpage Black in 2025 - but Kinnings says there's actually no need.
“If you look at eligibility criteria for 2023, then I think there has been a slight misconception,” Kinnings told golf journalists at a meeting in London - as reported by the BBC's Iain Carter.
“The reality is, under the current rules, if a player is European, a member of the DP World Tour and abides by the rules - if you don’t get a release there are sanctions and you take those penalties - there is no reason why players who have taken LIV membership could not qualify or be available for selection.”
That misconception probably comes from the early stages of LIV, when Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia resigned their DP World Tour membership after being fined for playing in LIV events.
An independent panel later ruled that fines and suspensions were fair punishment, so Kinnings says they won't be "changing rules that we’ve had to go to court to defend”.
“All suspensions will count and you have to serve them,” Kinnings added. “And the guys who’ve analysed this in detail have said if they do it the right way, there is no reason why they can’t play in the Ryder Cup.
“We’re not going to change anything on that basis. Rules are rules and they apply for every member."
It means it's now up to Rahm and Hatton to ensure they play in the minimum four DP World Tour-backed events this season in order to keep their membership - as well as paying large fines - Garcia's were reportedly up to £800,000.
The suspensions are the issue that could be thought of as a loophole, as both Rahm and Hatton will get a one-tournament ban for playing in LIV Golf Adelaide this week, but could serve that as early as next week's Volvo China Open.
Meaning both players could serve out suspensions at events they had no intention of playing in the first place - but Kinnings insisted "It's not a loophole".
Adding: “Because that’s the rules we’ve always had and those are the rules we are going to continue to apply. They have been tested.
“Rules are for all of the membership and it’s important for people to know how those apply and they apply to every member.”
It seems like that with a few scheduling tweaks and a willingness to pay their fines, the door is wide open for Rahm and Hatton to be on Donald's Ryder Cup team again as they tackle a hugely tough road trip to New York.
