Jon Rahm has confirmed he hopes to play for Europe in next year’s Ryder Cup after winning the LIV Golf League individual title.
Rahm won the final counting event in Chicago on Sunday to clinch first place — and a £14m bonus — in his debut season in LIV Golf.
His switch to the Saudi-backed circuit and refusal to pay resulting fines to the DP World Tour jeopardised his eligibility for the Ryder Cup.
But he appealed those fines last week, freeing him to play this month’s Spanish Open and begin earning Ryder Cup qualification points.
“I don’t know if it would have been the best for our family to have to go through the stress of not playing in Spain and possibly jeopardising the Ryder Cup,” said Rahm.
”And I’ve always loved being able to go play in Spain and give back to the country that’s given me so much. It would have just felt wrong to not be at the Spanish Open.
“With the hopes that things are going to improve in the future, as well, it basically became pretty clear that I wanted to appeal, fulfill my requirements as a European Tour member, and hopefully be able to qualify or be considered for Ryder Cup next year.”
Rahm’s win in Chicago crowned a fine first season in LIV Golf for the Basque, who won two events and never finished outside the top 10.
He could yet make it a unique double at next week’s team finale, where his Legion XIII will start as one of the favourites for the title.
The two-time major winner received criticism for making a $450m move to LIV Golf but insists that the big-money tour is misunderstood.
“For anybody out there that’s wondering, it is a little bit different experience than any other Tour out there, but it is a closer experience to pretty much any other sport out there,” Rahm said.
“As a captain, I was curious to see how different the dynamics were going to be, of really not being in charge of three players but being who they maybe went to for advice. Turns out I like giving advice. Hopefully it was good advice.
“When it comes to golf, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Being able to go to Adelaide, Hong Kong, Singapore, all those places in Asia and Australia was quite unique and so much fun.
“I think this league has gotten quite a bit of a bad rap without people having experienced it. They’ve been too quick to judge. I think the vast majority of them would absolutely love spending a day out here.
“Most people that don’t like the music, the second they come, they get over it. It’s part of the atmosphere like in many other sports, and as a player and as a family man, it’s been a fantastic experience for myself and my family the times that they’ve been able to come.
“I can’t wait to get this season finished next week and start thinking about next year and seeing some different destinations.”
Rahm shot a bogey-free four-under-par 66 on Sunday at Bolingbrook Golf Club to hold off title rival Joaquin Niemann.
Niemann and Sergio Garcia tied for second, three shots back, lifting the latter into third place above England’s Tyrrell Hatton in the final league table.