The Ryder Cup stands for honor, identity, and legacy. Rory McIlroy now challenges Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to prove that money doesn’t matter.
McIlroy with a Clear Message to Rahm and Hatton
Rory McIlroy has taken an unmistakable position in the debate about LIV Golf players and Ryder Cup participation. While Team Europe has long emphasized that money plays no role in golf’s most prestigious team competition, McIlroy now sees this as a crucial test. His message to Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton is clear: those who said they would pay to play in the Ryder Cup now have the chance to prove it.
‘This is my opinion: we have been very strict when it comes to American players being paid to play in the Ryder Cup, and we’ve said we would pay to participate as players. Now there are two players who can prove it,’ said McIlroy, bringing responsibility and credibility to the forefront early on.
Pride Instead of Prize Money
Rahm and Hatton both play for LIV Golf and must pay fines to participate in a competing tour. The rules of the PGA and DP World Tour are clear: as long as these sanctions remain, both players are ineligible to participate in the Ryder Cup. Currently, the only realistic path to nomination is paying fines totaling approximately six million dollars, about one to one and a half million per year.
The situation’s tension is heightened by the fundamental difference between Europe and the USA. On the American team, players are paid for their Ryder Cup participation. Team Europe has always taken the stance that the sporting and emotional value of the competition outweighs any financial reward. European players have previously asserted that they would pay themselves to participate.
Luke Donald summed up this understanding in his 2025 Ryder Cup introductory speech: ‘It’s not about prize money or ranking points. It’s about pride.’ It’s about representing your flag, leaving a legacy, inspiring new generations while honoring those before. Driven by something money can’t buy: purpose, brotherhood, and responsibility.
A Financial Question with Symbolic Impact
Financially, Rahm and Hatton are certainly able to pay this price. Rahm is reported to have earned around 76 million dollars in two years at LIV, plus an estimated signing bonus of over 200 million dollars. Hatton has