Just what is Jon Rahm doing?

I love the Ryder Cup. Some of my best moments watching this sport have come while witnessing Europe’s perennial underdogs showing the Yanks how to do it.

It all started for me at the 1969 Ryder Cup. That was the one held at Royal Birkdale when a GB&I team inspired by Open champion Tony Jacklin tied with the USA after Jack Nicklaus conceded Jacklin’s putt on the final green with the words: "You wouldn’t have missed it Tony but I wasn’t going to give you the chance to do it."

This was at a time when the Americans routinely thrashed GB&I every two years.

Why I Love The Ryder Cup So Much

Then came 1985 and The Belfry when I watched Sam Torrance hole the winning putt. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Jacklin’s team celebrated a famous win. There was a sense that we were watching the start of a proper changing of the guard, that a team bolstered by the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer would now have the upper hand. And so it turned out.

I was at The Belfry again in 2002 to witness Paul McGinley holing the winning putt before jumping into the lake.

Colin Montgomerie set the tone on that final day’s singles by thrashing Scott Hoch 5&4. The Ryder Cup always brought out the best in Monty, who ended his playing career unbeaten in singles. And then there was the sight of Phil Price bounding down the middle of the 18th fairway after beating the mighty Phil Mickelson just in time to witness McGinley’s winning putt.

I remember that the weather was glorious. The European captain was Torrance and, once again, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

And then there was Gleneagles in 2014, when McGinley captained the team. Until the day I die, I will never forget the spine-tingling atmosphere on the first tee. It was electric, and once again we were blessed with fantastic weather. It is largely forgotten that the USA won both fourball sessions but still went into the singles trailing 10-6.

That final day’s singles was truly unforgettable. Rory McIlroy got us off to the perfect start when he hammered Rickie Fowler 5&4 and was followed by Graeme McDowell beating Jordan Spieth.

The roars around the course were deafening. Justin Rose halved with Hunter Mahan, Martin Kaymer thumped Bubba Watson. It became obvious the the crucial match was going to be the one between Jamie Donaldson and Keegan Bradley, and I was greenside at the 15th when Donaldson hit a magnificent approach stone dead to close out out his game 5&3 and ensure Europe had won. 

I attended the post-match press conference when it soon became obvious that there were some serious splits in the American camp, with Mickelson openly criticising his captain, the legendary Tom Watson.

There have been further astonishing wins in France and Italy and, of course, last year in New York.

Has Jon Rahm Ended His Own Ryder Cup Career?

Bearing all of this in mind, I am utterly staggered by Jon Rahm’s decision not to pay his outstanding DP World Tour fines and agree to play in a number of stipulated events in order to maintain his tour membership. 

Eight of his LIV colleagues have coughed up and are now free to compete, gain world ranking points and qualify for the Ryder Cup but the Spaniard has made it clear he has no intention of doing so and is going ahead with his appeal against the fines.

It makes absolutely no sense to me.

Rahm is one of the wealthiest golfers on the planet so his decision has nothing to do with money. Tyrrell Hatton, who had also announced that he was appealing, has paid up and dropped his appeal plans. This means that Rahm is on his own. 

At the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this year, Rory McIlroy urged both men to pay up so that we could all move on.

Well, we are now moving on without Rahm. In my book, his Ryder Cup career is over. How can he possibly ever represent Europe again when he is no longer a member of the DP World Tour, when he is playing by his own rules? There will be those who will want the rules tweaked to accommodate the Spaniard but that would surely cause uproar. 

Rahm has spoken in the past about wanting to create a legacy. Sadly, he seems to be all about the money.

It should be unthinkable that a European Ryder Cup team would not include Rahm but we now have incredible strength in depth and it is my contention that we do not need him in order to beat the Americans in Ireland next year.